Warsaw, Poland (AP) —Poland’s offer to provide the United States with MiG-29 fighters to be handed over to Ukraine on Tuesday raises serious concerns to the NATO alliance, and the plan is “sustainable.” “It was not.
Pentagon spokesman John Kirby said in a statement that there were concerns about the prospect of jets departing from Germany’s US / NATO base to fly into the airspace disputed with Russia in the Ukrainian War. He said it was not clear to the United States that there was a substantive rationale for it. He said the United States would continue to talk to Poland on this issue.
This is the latest news update. The previous story of AP is as follows.
Warsaw, Poland (AP) —Poland announced on Tuesday that it would provide the United States with all MiG-29 fighters and proceed with an arrangement that would allow them to be handed over to Ukrainian troops in the face of a Russian invasion. ..
The United States did not immediately confirm the agreement, but Western nations are discussing possible ways to respond to Ukrainian fighters’ complaints. Such a decision will boost Ukraine’s morale, as attacks on Russian cities have deepened humanitarian catastrophe. But it also increases the risk of a wider range of wars.
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The Pentagon did not immediately comment on Poland’s announcement, and senior US diplomats expressed surprise.
“As far as I know, they hadn’t consulted with us in advance that they had plans to deliver these planes to us,” he knew the suggestion while driving to testify about Ukraine. US Under Secretary of State Victoria Nuland told the Under Secretary of State that the crisis before the Senate Foreign Affairs Committee.
“I … look forward to returning to my desk and seeing how we respond to their suggestions to deliver the plane to us,” Nuland said. ..
Ukraine wants more fighters, and Washington is considering a proposal for Poland to supply Ukraine with Soviet-era fighters and receive an American F-16 to make up for its losses. Ukrainian pilots are trained to fly Soviet-era fighters.
In a statement, the Polish Ministry of Foreign Affairs announced that Poland was ready to deliver jets immediately and free of charge to the US Ramstein Air Force Base in Germany.
“At the same time, Poland is asking the United States to provide used aircraft with the corresponding operational capabilities,” he said.
The Polish government has also appealed to follow other owners of the MIG-29 jet.
Former Soviet block NATO member countries Bulgaria and Slovakia also still have Soviet fighters in the Air Force.
The delivery of 28 Polish Soviet MiG-29s will show Western determination to do more to deter Russia. Militaryly, it’s unlikely to be a game changer. The number of aircraft is relatively small. The MiG-29 will also be inferior to the more sophisticated Russian aircraft and will be more likely to be a prey to Russian pilots and Russian missiles.
Russia has warned that supporting the Ukrainian Air Force is considered participating in the conflict in Moscow and opens up suppliers to the possibility of retaliation.
It will also undermine Poland’s own air force when dangers increase in Eastern Europe.
The transfer of MiG to Ukraine is complicated by the fact that neither NATO nor the European Union want to be considered directly involved in this transaction. This will significantly increase the already extreme tensions with Russia. The United States has no plans to move the plane directly to Ukraine.
To maintain the pretense that NATO and the EU are not directly involved in the Ukrainian conflict, US and Polish officials have considered various options. One begins with Poland’s “donation” of MiG to the United States, as Poland announced on Tuesday.
In one scenario that emerged, Poland delivered a fighter to a US base in Germany, where it was repainted and flew to non-NATO, non-European Union countries. Later, Ukrainian pilots began to fly them to Ukraine under the proposal.
No country has been publicly identified as a transit point, but Kosovo, a non-allied country very friendly to the United States, is one of several countries that may be willing to act as an intermediary. It is mentioned.
Poland has asked the United States to provide the United States with an F-16 fighter to replace the MiG.
However, although production of the F-16 has stagnated, the next recipient of the new delivery is Taiwan. Taiwan faces a new threat from China and receives strong support from both parties to Parliament.
In that statement, the Polish government specifically demanded “used” planes. This is a distinction that allows the Biden administration to avoid Congressional opposition to have Taiwan wait for the F-16.
Earlier on Tuesday, British Defense Minister Ben Wallace said he would support Poland if he handed over a jet and could face the “direct consequences” of that decision.
“And we help them with everything they need to protect Poland,” Wallace said in Sky News.
Poland’s Prime Minister Mateush Morawicki said the decision to provide offensive weapons must be unanimously made by NATO members.
“This is why we can give all jet fighters to Ramstein, but we are not a party to this war, so we are not ready to take action on our own,” he said. Told.
Senate minority leader Mitch McConnell said Tuesday to replenish their air force after NATO allies gave Ukraine a MiG for aid that Congress hopes to approve for Ukraine later this week. He said he believed it would include a loan guarantee to help.
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Knickmeyer reported from Washington. London AP writer Danica Kirka and AP diplomatic writer Matthew Lee contributed to this report.