Poland throttles up support for Ukraine with offer to hand over fighter jets; Pentagon pumps brakes

Poland supplied to provide its whole 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 drive whereas upgrading the Poles’ with NATO plane.

“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 US of America,” the Polish Overseas Ministry mentioned in an announcement Tuesday. “On the identical time, Poland requests the US to offer us with used plane with corresponding operational capabilities. Poland is able to instantly set up the situations of buy of the planes.”

The Poles additionally requested every other NATO member nations which have MiGs of their very own take related motion. These could embody Bulgaria and Slovakia.

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Ukrainian protection officers for days have been asking for assist with provides starting from helmets to ammunition and fighter jets – a request that Poland appeared prepared to satisfy virtually two weeks into Russia’s invasion of its smaller neighbor.

Undersecretary of State Victoria Nuland mentioned throughout a Senate Overseas Relations Committee listening to Tuesday that the announcement was “a shock transfer by the Poles.”

“To my data, it wasn’t pre-consulted with us that they deliberate to provide these planes to us,” she mentioned. “However as you understand, we’ve been having consultations with them for a few days now about this request from the Ukrainians to obtain their plane, and have been they to donate them, whether or not we might be capable to assist backfill in their very own safety wants.”

Earlier Tuesday, a bipartisan group of U.S. lawmakers despatched a letter to President Biden urging him to assist a take care of Poland.

However Pentagon press secretary John Kirby distanced the U.S. from the proposal later within the day, saying that whereas the choice handy over jets to Ukraine is within the arms of the Polish authorities, American involvement “raises critical issues for all the NATO alliance.”

“It’s merely not clear to us that there’s substantive rationale for it,” he mentioned in an announcement. “We’ll proceed to seek the advice of with Poland and our different NATO allies about this subject and the troublesome logistical challenges it presents, however we don’t imagine Poland’s proposal is a tenable one.” 

He mentioned the U.S. would proceed talks with Poland and the remainder of NATO concerning the difficulty.

Ukrainian pilots have been educated on the Soviet-era MiG jets. Poland, which joined NATO in 1999, goals to exchange its fleet with used F-16s and practice its pilots to fly them.

Poland, which joined NATO in 1999, goals to exchange its fleet with used F-16s and practice its pilots to fly them.
(U.S. Air Power picture by Workers Sgt. Andrew Lee)

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Poland has 28 MiG-29s that it plans handy over. In response to the CIA’s World Factbook, “Ukraine has a broad protection business able to…sustaining and upgrading Soviet-era fight plane.”

Polish Prime Minister Mateusz Morawiecki informed reporters in London earlier Tuesday that regardless of the choice, “neither Poland or NATO are events” to the conflict in Ukraine.

Russia in the meantime has warned that it’s going to view assist of Ukraine’s air drive as an escalation of the battle and that it could retaliate.

The UK, which has a complicated air drive of its personal, mentioned it could assist Poland’s transfer as conflict rages in Jap Europe.

Members of the Ukrainian army arrive to bolster a ahead place on the jap frontline close to Kalynivka village on March 08, 2022, in Kyiv, Ukraine.
(Photograph by Chris McGrath/Getty Photos)

“We might defend Poland,” British Protection Secretary Ben Wallace informed the UK’s Sky Information Tuesday. “We’ll assist them with something that they want.”

President Biden mentioned throughout his State of the Union tackle final week that the U.S. and allies would defend “NATO territory with the total drive of our collective energy – each single inch.” 

Nearly two weeks into the invasion, Russia has failed to say air superiority over Ukraine. Protection forces declare to have shot down 48 Russian plane, an extra 80 helicopters and 7 UAVs.

Ukraine’s army has launched figures detailing its personal losses.

Fox Information’ David Aaro, Liz Friden and The Related Press contributed to this report.