Kamala Harris, Poland president insist they’re ‘unified’ after public disagreement on fighter jets for Ukraine

Vice President Kamala Harris and Polish President Andrzej Duda insisted Thursday that the USA and Poland are “unified” after the U.S. rejected the nation’s proposal to ship MiG-29 planes to the Ukrainian army.

Throughout a joint press convention in Warsaw, Poland, simply hours after the Pentagon made clear that the U.S. doesn’t help Poland’s proposal for the U.S. and NATO to ship MiG-29s to the Ukrainian army, Harris and Duda maintained that the connection between the USA and Poland has “change into even stronger” amid Russia’s conflict in opposition to Ukraine. 

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Harris mentioned her go to to Poland is “an expression of the enduring and vital relationship between the USA and Poland that once more has been long-standing, however specifically on the difficulty of Ukraine is unified and is evident.” 

“We are going to do every little thing collectively in partnership, in solidarity, to help what is critical at this very second when it comes to the humanity and safety wants of Ukraine and the Ukrainian individuals,” Harris mentioned. 

“I wish to be very clear: The USA and Poland are united in what we have now achieved and are ready to do to assist Ukraine and the individuals of Ukraine — full cease,” Harris mentioned.

Harris highlighted the U.S. Home of Representatives’ vote to ship $13 billion in support to Ukraine and European allies. And he or she introduced the U.S. would offer $53 million extra to the UN World Meals Program.

Polish President Andrzej Duda speaks throughout a joint press convention with Vice President Kamala Harris, in Warsaw, Poland, Thursday, March 10, 2022. 
(Saul Loeb/Pool Photograph by way of AP)

Poland stunned the U.S. on Tuesday by providing to provide its complete fleet of MiG-29 fighter jets to the U.S. in change for an opportunity to purchase American F-16s as a part of a deal to bolster the Ukrainian air power whereas upgrading the Poles’ with NATO plane.

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“The authorities of the Republic of Poland, after consultations between the President and the Authorities, are able to deploy – instantly and freed from cost – all their MIG-29 jets to the Ramstein Air Base and place them on the disposal of the Authorities of the USA of America,” the Polish Overseas Ministry mentioned in an announcement Tuesday. “On the identical time, Poland requests the USA to offer us with used plane with corresponding operational capabilities. Poland is able to instantly set up the situations of buy of the planes.”

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The Pentagon, the next day, pushed again on the transfer and mentioned it raised considerations relating to the deployment of warplanes from a U.S. base in a NATO-allied nation to fight Russian forces.

Harris is greeted by Polish President Andrzej Duda throughout their assembly in Warsaw, Thursday, March 10, 2022. 
(AP Photograph/Czarek Sokolowski)

Duda, responding to questions on whether or not his authorities “unilaterally” made the supply to Ukraine, defined Poland was performing in one of the best curiosity of NATO. 

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“There’s a struggle happening for independence for sovereignty, for freedom and for survival and help with all of the energy we have now for the individuals of Ukraine,” Duda mentioned. “It’s not solely within the army, additionally the individuals of Ukraine have taken the arms to defend their homeland. It is not solely males, it is also ladies preventing on the entrance line with males in an effort to defend their nation.” 

Duda mentioned that Poland and its allies “settle for” that Ukraine has “the fitting to demand this help from the worldwide group.” 

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy on Wednesday pleaded with the U.S. and Poland to discover a solution to ship his nation MiG-29 warplanes as Russian forces proceed to pummel Ukraine.

With regard to these calls for, Duda mentioned he’s making choices “not solely by means of our personal lens of Poland,” but additionally is seeking to “undertake within the perspective of the safety of NATO as a complete.” 

“In a nutshell, we have now to be a member of the alliance,” he mentioned, including that in receiving requests from Ukraine, and “the media,” Poland “behaved in such a manner as a dependable member of NATO ought to serve NATO, who doesn’t wish to expose NATO to any tough state of affairs.” 

Duda pressured that as a member of NATO, Poland “needed to search for methods of help for the preventing of its allies.” 

“And that’s the reason we formulated that assertion along with the Polish authorities and myself as president, collectively, with the Polish authorities,” he mentioned, including that the assertion mentioned “the Polish civilities army help of aiding Ukraine.” 

“Merely, we determined to place these jets on the disposal of NATO’s not anticipating something in return as a result of we pressured very clearly that as a gap-filler for the donated tools we’re in a position to purchase what we would wish as a substitute,” Duda mentioned. “And we, ourselves, had been prepared to try this and supply our tools freed from cost and that we needed NATO, as a complete, to make a standard determination in order that Poland stays a member of NATO, not a rustic who decides by itself on vital points, which impression the safety of NATO’s assist, which might impression this initiative of all members of NATO. Additionally, our neighbors who’re a part of NATO, members of NATO.” 

Pentagon spokesman John Kirby mentioned the Division of Protection believes the “greatest solution to help Ukrainian protection is by offering them the weapons and the methods that they want most to defeat Russian aggression, specifically anti-armor and air protection.”

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Kirby mentioned earlier weapons despatched to Ukraine from America and different nations are being “used with nice impact.”

He mentioned a protection evaluation confirmed that “including plane to the Ukrainian stock just isn’t prone to considerably change the effectiveness of the Ukrainian air power relative to Russian capabilities.”

“Subsequently, we imagine that the acquire from transferring these MiG 29s is low,” Kirby mentioned.

“The intelligence group has assessed that the switch of MiG-29s could also be mistaken as escalatory and will end in important Russian response which may improve the prospects of a army escalation with NATO,” Kirby mentioned. “Subsequently, we additionally assess the MiG-29s to Ukraine to be high-risk.”

Ukraine has been pleading with Western allies to ship army support and implement a no-fly zone over the nation. The U.S. and its NATO allies have repeatedly mentioned a no-fly zone over Ukraine may convey a couple of direct battle with Russia.

In the meantime, throughout her time in Poland, officers mentioned the vp will interact with Ukrainian refugees. Greater than 1 million refugees have fled from Ukraine to Poland since Russia invaded on Feb. 24. She can also be anticipated to satisfy with Embassy Warsaw workers, in addition to Embassy Kyiv workers who’ve relocated to Poland amid Russia’s invasion of Ukraine.

Harris, on Friday, is ready to satisfy with U.S. and Polish service members in Warsaw to thank them for his or her service, earlier than touring to Bucharest, Romania, for a bilateral assembly with Romanian President Klaus Iohannis and members of Embassy Bucharest workers.

Fox Information’ Kyle Morris, Jennifer Griffin, Caitlin McFall and The Related Press contributed to this report.