The president of Poland has announced that his country intends to hand over Ukraine a dozen MiG-29 fighter planesbeing the first NATO member country to respond to the Ukrainian government’s urgent request for aircraft.
President Andrzej Duda said on Thursday Poland would hand over four of the planes Soviet-made in the next few days and all must be examined for subsequent delivery.
Duda did not clarify whether other countries will follow suit, although Slovakia has said so will send its MiGs into disuse to Ukraine.
Western members of NATO have shown reluctant to respond to Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky’s request to send him fighter planes.
In January, Joe Biden again refused to send F-16s, claimed by Ukraine.
“NO”, The president responded when asked by White House reporters if he was in favor of sending those planes, which Ukrainian officials say are at the top of their latest list of desired weapons.
Ukraine you need at least 200 western fighters to protect its skies, replacing the current obsolete Soviet aircraft of various types.
Western planes would give Ukraine a big boost, although taking on Russia’s massive air force would still be a major challenge. But they also imply an escalation of the conflict between the West and Russia, something Biden wants to avoid.
However, the “no” of the United States, as the main member of NATO, could be softened by the decision of Poland, as another member of the Atlantic Alliance, send the Migs.
The tanks
The same thing happened with tanks. Sending heavy armored vehicles to Kiev was a red line, which was eventually crossed, although it is not known whether those vehicles have reached Ukraine yet.
Also in January, Germany finally agreed to ship its Leopards, after the US shipped its Abrams and Britain its Challengers.
The German decision was crucial for other European countries (Poland, Finland, Spain, Greece, Czech Republic) to be able to send their Leopard 2 tanks (A4 or A6), as they are German-made and needed a permit for re-export from Berlin.
Leopard 2 will not work alone. According to ‘The Wall Street Journal’, around 30 American Abrams will join the already announced British Challenger 2, equivalent to the Leopard 2.
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Source: Clarin
Mary Ortiz is a seasoned journalist with a passion for world events. As a writer for News Rebeat, she brings a fresh perspective to the latest global happenings and provides in-depth coverage that offers a deeper understanding of the world around us.