Poland’s prime minister said on Wednesday that his country was ready to deploy planes to Ukraine, but that it would do so only through the NATO alliance.
Warsaw had come up with a plan to move its Russian-made fighter jets to a US military base to cross into Ukraine as the Russian invasion approaches its third week, but this was rejected by Washington.
What did Warsaw say?
Polish Prime Minister Mateusz Morawiecki has said that the decision to supply his country’s fighter jets to Ukraine should be a joint decision made by NATO members.
“We did not agree to supply the planes ourselves because it must be a decision of the whole of NATO,” he said during a press conference on Polish television.
“The United States does not want these planes to come to Ukraine from US bases,” Jakub Kumoch, a consultant, told TVP Info. “Poland is ready to act, but only within the framework of the alliance, within NATO.”
Poland’s decision to put the plan on ice comes before US Vice President Kamala Harris arrives for a visit to focus on the next steps in response to the Russian invasion of Ukraine.
What was the Polish proposal?
Poland had outlined a plan to transport the 28 MiG-29 fighters, which would be known to Ukrainian pilots, to the US Ramstein air base in Germany.
The expectation was that the aircraft would eventually be delivered to the Ukrainian Air Force.
The United States, in return, would have supplied Poland with US-made aircraft with “equivalent capabilities”, such as the F-16, which is already a mainstay of the Polish air force.
However, the Poles had not first cleared up the idea with the Biden government, and the idea was quickly rejected by the Pentagon.
Why is the West wary?
While the gift of the MiG-29 would be a morale booster for Ukrainians, it would also risk the possibility of the war spreading beyond the country.
Russia has already warned other nations and parties not to get involved in the conflict. The Kremlin said Wednesday that Poland’s offer of fighter jets was “extremely undesirable and a potentially dangerous scenario.”
Questions also remain as to whether the planes would be large enough to influence the course of the fighting in Ukraine. The number of aircraft is relatively small and the MiG-29s are also inferior to the most advanced Russian aircraft. They could possibly be easily targeted by Russian pilots and Russian missiles.
What is the position of Ukraine?
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy on Tuesday denounced Western “promises” that were not kept to protect Ukraine from Russian attacks. He said the assurances he has received so far have not been fulfilled.
Zelensky said Wednesday that the international community would be responsible for a massive “humanitarian catastrophe” if it did not agree on a no-fly zone to protect his country.
“When will there be a decision? Look, we are at war!” said Zelensky in a video on his Telegram channel. “We ask you again to decide as soon as possible. Send us planes.”
The creation of a no-fly zone over Ukraine, something that Zelensky also sought, has been rejected by Washington and NATO.
Russian President Vladimir Putin has threatened “colossal and catastrophic consequences” for Europe and the wider world if a no-fly zone is implemented.
The Vice President of the United States is paying a visit
US Vice President Kamala Harris will travel to Poland on Wednesday to thank Warsaw for hosting hundreds of thousands of Ukrainians who fled the country after the Russian invasion.
He is also visiting Romania and is widely expected to reassure both countries in support of Washington.
Both Bucharest and Warsaw are increasingly wary of Russia’s growing aggression in the region and are the easternmost members of NATO. Each of them shares a border with Ukraine, where thousands of refugees arrive daily.
Harris is also expected to look at how NATO members can implement the financial sanctions that have been imposed and stay in line and move forward together.
He will hold talks with Ukrainian refugees in Poland and discuss war-related issues with Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trinto, who is also visiting Warsaw following a meeting with German Chancellor Olaf Solz in Berlin on Wednesday.
rc / sms (AFP, AP, Reuters)
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