Poland 'ready' to hand its Russian-made Mig-29 jets to US

Poland's decision to hand over its jets was not made after consultation with Washington, US official says

Russian MiG-29 jet fighters of the Strizhi aerobatics team perform during the Maks 2021 air show in Zhukovsky, outside Moscow, on July 25, 2021. Reuters

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Poland is willing to hand its Mig-29 fighter jets to the US, its Foreign Ministry said on Tuesday, under a reported scheme that would lead to the planes being given to Ukraine.

"Poland ... is ready to deliver its Mig-29 planes to Ramstein airbase [in Germany] and make them available to the US for free and without delay," the Polish government said.

Under the reported deal, Poland would receive F-16 fighters as replacements for the Soviet-era planes, in which Ukrainian pilots are trained.

The decision was not made after consultation with Washington, State Department undersecretary Victoria Nuland said on Tuesday, although the US had been discussing Ukraine's broader request for Polish aircraft.

Undersecretary of State for Political Affairs Victoria Nuland called the MiG-29 transfer to “a surprise move by the Poles” during her testimony before the Senate Foreign Relations Committee shortly after the announcement.

“I was in a meeting where I ought to have heard about that just before I came,” said Ms Nuland.

However, she noted that “there are some mixed views among allies and even within the administration” about transferring the MiG-29 fighter jets to Ukraine.

“I will continue to convey the very strong bipartisan view of this [Senate] committee that these planes need to get to Ukraine,” Ms Nuland vowed.

US officials, including US Secretary of State Antony Blinken, had played down the possibility of any Nato country supplying besieged Ukraine.

But in Moldova on Sunday, Mr Blinken confirmed it was under active discussion.

"Can't speak to a timeline, but I can just say we're looking at it very, very actively," he said.

"We are looking actively now at the question of aeroplanes that Poland may provide to Ukraine and looking at how we might be able to backfill should Poland decide to supply those planes."

Senator Chris Murphy called it “a curious decision by Poland to announce their gifts of several hundred million-dollars worth of jets to the United States without alerting us first".

“They would be the more natural direct partner with Ukraine, given that these are MiG jets that the Poles know how to use and will ultimately have to help transfer to the Ukrainians. And I look forward to consultations that we will have with them about their recent announcement.”

The comments came a day after Mr Blinken met Ukraine's Foreign Minister Dmytro Kuleba on the Poland-Ukraine border and the minister pressed him for the aircraft.

"The highest demand that we have is in fighter jets, attack aircraft and air-defence systems," Mr Kuleba said.

"If we lose the skies, there will be much more blood on the ground."

“They would be the more natural direct partner with Ukraine, given that these are MiG jets that the Poles know how to use and will ultimately have to help transfer to the Ukrainians. And I look forward to consultations that we will have with them about their recent announcement.”

Bryant Harris contributed to this reporting