WARSAW – Poland has said it will place its Soviet-made MiG-29 warplanes in the hands of the United States after days of talks over how to place such planes in the hands of Ukraine, which is trying to repel a Russian advance.
The Polish government on Tuesday said the planes were “ready to deploy – immediately and free of charge.” According to the Polish Foreign Ministry, the planes will be delivered to the American Ramstein Air Base in Germany, where they will be at the disposal of the United States.
The Polish government has urged other North Atlantic Treaty Organization members with MiG-29s to follow suit and has asked the US to provide Poland with used combat aircraft to replenish the capability lost as a result of the elimination of MiGs.
The Pentagon said it was unclear whether there was a “substantial justification” for stationing Polish aircraft destined for Ukraine at a US airbase, saying the proposal was of concern to NATO.
“We will continue consultations with Poland and our other NATO allies on this issue and the complex logistical challenges it presents, but we do not consider Poland’s proposal to be justified,” Pentagon spokesman John Kirby said.
US military officials appeared surprised by Poland’s announcement Tuesday afternoon.
Victoria Nuland, the undersecretary of state for political affairs, said Tuesday before the Senate Foreign Relations Committee that she was unaware of Poland’s coordination with the US prior to the announcement.
“To my knowledge, we have not been previously agreed that they plan to transfer these aircraft to us,” Ms. Nuland said at a hearing on Tuesday. “So I think it was actually an unexpected move on the part of the Poles,” she said.
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky on Saturday turned to Capitol Hill with an impassioned plea for help in getting more lethal military aid, especially Russian-made fighter jets that Ukrainian pilots can fly. The Ukrainian military has mainly relied on surface-to-air missiles to counter Russian warplanes flying over the country, with some apparent success.
Providing Ukraine with combat aircraft would be the most high-profile step in a massive effort by NATO members and other allies to supply weapons to a country in combat as it struggles to fend off the advance of Russian forces. Mr. Zelenskiy is pushing for planes and missiles that can shoot down Russian planes and helicopters that attack civilians.
But it is unclear how many MiG-29s the Poles will provide, what American aircraft they will receive in return, and when.
Poland has become a leading Western contender for the supply of aircraft to Ukraine because the country operates upgraded MiG-29 fighters that could have been flown by Ukrainian pilots. Mr. Zelenskiy lobbied Congress on Saturday for a deal to supply planes and other military equipment to help the country fight invading Russian troops.
The Polish diplomat said that Warsaw had agreed with the United States on the transfer of aircraft and enjoyed the full support of the Biden administration in this matter.
Civilians fled the city of Sumy as Ukraine and Russia agreed to a limited ceasefire there; residents said that the soldiers searched their houses in Irpin; The President of Ukraine Zelensky published defiant video messages. Photo: Christopher Furlong/Getty Images
“These are our fighters, and we are moving them, but through the US and through the US infrastructure,” he said. “We wanted to be sure that in six months or two years everyone will be comfortable, that this is NATO’s idea, the West’s idea,” he said.
The move marks a sort of reversal for Warsaw. Polish officials have been lukewarm about the idea of the planes heading for Ukraine, partly out of concern that it could provoke a Russian attack on the country. On Sunday, Poland’s prime minister’s office denied reports of the country’s potential deal to transfer combat aircraft, although two Polish officials close to the matter said Poland would at least consider a proposal that Washington was willing to put forward. The transfer of US aircraft first distances Poland from its participation in any transfer to Ukraine.
In a statement on Tuesday, the Polish government also said it was asking “other NATO allies – owners of MiG-29 aircraft – to act in the same spirit.”
Bulgaria and Slovakia are other NATO members operating this type of aircraft. The Slovak defense minister held a telephone conversation with US Secretary of Defense Lloyd Austin on Tuesday, a senior Slovak official said. Slovakia is exploring a similar arrangement with Poland, the official said.
Bulgarian government officials did not immediately respond to a request for comment.
Earlier Tuesday, a Polish diplomat said there was “great will” in Poland to help Ukraine fight the Russians.
“But there must be a consensus on this in the Western community,” he added. “We can act on behalf of NATO, but we also need support. And not every Western country feels safe or comfortable doing so. What we really would like to avoid is giving planes to Ukraine and then being left alone because that was “our call”.
The Polish decision was made a day after the White House warned of difficulties with the delivery of aircraft to Ukraine. “Where will they go, where will they land?” This was announced on Monday by White House press secretary Jen Psaki. “There are a number of difficult practical issues.”
Republican Senator Ben Sass of Nebraska, a member of the Senate Intelligence Committee, urged the Biden administration to get Polish jets to Ukraine “as soon as possible.”
A European diplomat said the Pentagon appeared to have been caught off guard by the announcement from Warsaw, adding that the handover of the aircraft could create problems for Poland’s security and create the appearance of NATO’s direct involvement in the war.
“I think there is a very real question about how quickly could the backfill be delivered to Poland and any other ally who sent them? Because you wouldn’t want to create a gap in Poland’s capabilities, which, according to the Russians, would allow something bad to be done from Kaliningrad,” the diplomat said. “At first glance, it seems that solving this problem is easy. But I don’t think that’s really the case.”
According to Jane’s World Air Forces, the Polish Air Force still has just under 30 Soviet-made MiG-29 combat aircraft in service. The country park also has American F-16 combat aircraft manufactured by Lockheed Martin Corp. Poland also agreed to buy American F-35 combat aircraft.
One of the questions for the White House now is how to get spare planes to Poland. “Procuring new aircraft and transferring major weapon systems often takes years,” says Ms. Psaki. “We’re also working through some pretty complex logistics on that front.”
At an afternoon press conference, Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-Kentucky) said he expects the fiscal year 2022 spending bill that Congress intends to pass this week will include loan guarantees that would allow Poland or other Eastern European allies to buy US-made F-16 fighter jets. “This is my expectation,” he told reporters.
Lawmakers expect to spend about $14 billion in additional aid to Ukraine as part of the package.
— Courtney McBride from Washington contributed to this article.
Write to Drew Hinshaw at [email protected] and Nancy A. Youssef at [email protected]
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