Poland says it will send MiG fighter jets to Ukraine ‘in the next few days’

• Poland would be the first NATO member to supply a few dozen fighter jets to Ukraine.
• Polish President Andrzej Duda’s determination fulfills a longstanding request from President Zelenskyy.
• The promise of the jets comes as Ukraine gears up for a spring offensive anticipated from Russia. 

Poland would be the first NATO member to supply a few dozen fighter jets to Ukraine to assist Kyiv in resisting the Russian invasion. 

Polish President Andrzej Duda announced in Warsaw on Thursday that 4 Soviet-era MiG-29 warplanes can be despatched over to Kyiv “within the next few days,” per the Associated Press. 

The complete variety of planes provided by Poland will vary between 11 to 19, per the AP. The relaxation can be despatched over after they have been serviced, Duda said at a information convention with Petr Pavel, the president of the neighboring Czech Republic. 

“They are in the last years of their functioning, but they are in good working condition,” Duda said of the jets. 

This makes Poland the first NATO member to supply fighter jets to Ukraine. This plea for fighter jets has been a longstanding request from Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy.

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Slovakia, Finland, and the Netherlands had also beforehand said that they might ship a few of their planes, per The Guardian, however they have not but outlined when the planes will attain Ukraine.

The supply of jets comes as Ukraine gears up for what is predicted to be a fierce spring offensive from Russia.

After a year of fierce combating, Ukraine is shortly burning via its dwindling ammunition provides — and Western navy support is important whether it is to launch an efficient counter-offensive against Russia, The Washington Post reported.

But Poland’s determination to supply navy jets to Ukraine could not push different allies to do the same. A White House consultant said President Joe Biden has not modified his thoughts on not giving Ukraine fighter jets. The US has fulfilled Zelenskyy’s requests for High Mobility Artillery Rocket Systems (HIMARS) and M1 Abrams battle tanks.

“There’s no change in our view with respect to fighter aircraft at this time,” White House spokesman John Kirby, per the AP. “That is our sovereign decision. That is where we are, other nations can speak to their own decisions.” 

For their half, senior US Air Force officers said in March that fighter jets are “worthless” over Ukraine as a result of Russia and Ukraine have mastered long-range missile protection, which prevents them from offering air assist nearer to enemy frontlines.  

“The problem is both of the Russian as well as the Ukrainian success in integrated air and missile defense have made much of those aircraft worthless,” said Gen. James Hecker, commander of US Air Forces in Europe, to reporters on the Air and Space Forces Association symposium on March 6.

But Zelenskyy said in an tackle to the UK Parliament in February that “the sooner our pilots get planes, the sooner this Russian aggression will end and we can return to peace in Europe,” The Washington Post reported.

Representatives for Duda didn’t instantly reply to Insider’s request for remark, despatched exterior of standard enterprise hours.