ISLAMABAD/WARSAW: Poland is all set to become the first country to deliver fighter jets to Ukraine, as it announced sending four Soviet-era Mig aircraft to Kyiv in the next few days.
The move is expected to prompt other Nato members to provide warplanes to Ukraine, a longstanding request of the war-ravaged country.
Polish President Andrzej Duda said that the first planes being handed over were inherited from East Germany after the fall of the Berlin Wall.
Duda said the MiGs were coming to the end of their working lives after 30 years, but were “still in working order”. The president added that more Polish MiGs were being serviced and repaired in preparation for being handed to Ukraine. Poland has a total of 28 MiG-29s which are to be replaced over in the next few years by South Korean FA-50s and US F-35s.
Until now, Nato members who support Kyiv have only provided spare parts for its fleet of Soviet-era warplanes, amid fears that delivering fully functional planes to Ukraine would be seen by Moscow as direct participation in the war. A year ago, Poland offered handing over all its MiGs to the US at its airbase in Ramstein, Germany, so they could be delivered to Ukraine, but the plan was rejected by Washington.
Europe unclear on helping Ukraine
Some European countries have remained ambiguous over what they might provide Kyiv if Russia continues its war in Ukraine over the long term.
Slovakia, Finland and the Netherlands have all said they would consider supplying Ukraine with warplanes.
Meanwhile, the US and UK have so far refused to supply their modern jets like F-16s and Typhoon combat aircraft respectively, on the grounds that such planes won’t be helpful to Ukraine in the short-term as they require too much training, ground support and long, smooth runways.
However, the UK has offered to provide air cover for any eastern European country willing to supply Kyiv with Soviet-era jets.
