Ukraine skeptical about fighter jets promised by Poland

MiG-29 aircraft. Illustration photo

After Polish President Andrzej Duda announced the upcoming arms delivery, noting that Warsaw would send four “fully operational” MiG-29s at some point “in the coming days,” the first batch totaled about a dozen jets.

“These MiGs are still in service with the Polish air force. They are in their last years of operation, but most of them are operational,” Duda said of the aircraft, the first variant of which entered service with the Soviet Union in 1983. Although Polish Prime Minister Mateusz Morawiecki said the delivery could take up to six weeks, the timetable appears to have been accelerated, with President Duda saying Poland was “close” to sending the jets to Ukraine. It remains unclear how the jets will be transported across the border and when they will arrive. Following the announcement, Kiev said that while it was “grateful” for the arms transfer, the Soviet aircraft would not be enough. Ukrainian Air Force spokesman Yuri Ignat noted that the aircraft “are not capable of significantly changing the situation on the ground.” “MiGs will not solve the tasks; we need F-16s,” he told reporters, stressing that while the MiGs would “enhance our capabilities,” Ukraine needed “Western multirole aircraft” to “gain an advantage over the enemy.”

Moscow has yet to comment on Poland’s MiG transfer, but has repeatedly called on countries to halt arms transfers to Kiev, arguing that they will only prolong the conflict and make it harder to negotiate a peaceful solution. Despite repeated requests from Ukraine for US fighter jets, the White House has refused to take that step.

National Security Council spokesman John Kirby said Poland’s decision “does not change our calculus with respect to the F-16.” Warsaw had previously said it would only provide fighter jets as part of an international coalition, but appears to be moving forward on its own. NATO member Slovakia recently hinted it might be willing to provide its own MiG-29s, but no formal decision has been made so far.