Ukraine, a breakthrough in Poland: 4 planes in Kiev. What is the United States doing

Poland is preparing to supply Ukraine with military aircraftPresident Andrzej Duda announced that Warsaw will transfer four MiG-29s to Kiev in the coming days. Other Soviet-made military aircraft of the same type will be sent to Ukraine from Poland after being re-equipped. So Poland will be the first NATO country to provide combat aircraft to Ukraine in the fight against Russia.

“The MiG-29 is still used in the defense of Polish airspace. Regarding aircraft, a decision has been made at the highest level, we can say that we will send the MiGs to Ukraine. We have dozens of these aircraft, we received them in the 90s, “when they were sold.” By the GDR: They work and have a role in defending our airspace. They are at the end of their operational lives but they are still effective, ”says Duda, explaining the step to be formalized in a nutshell. “In the coming days we will deliver 4 aircraft to UkraineOther devices are repaired and prepared. We will replace them with South Korean FA-50s and American F-35s,” explains the president.

Poland’s decision marks a turning point, but, at least for the time being, it does not mean a general change of line within NATO. Ukraine, through the words of President Volodymyr Zelensky and other high-ranking government officials, has long reiterated the need to receive aircraft from the West. In the United States, part of the political scene is in favor of sending F-16s. However, Poland’s “sovereign decision” to send MiG-29 fighters to Ukraine will not change the line of US President Joe Biden: The White House does not intend to send F-16sWhite House National Security Council spokesman John Kirby says. “It doesn’t change our assessment of the F-16,” he explains.

“These are sovereign decisions that every country makes and we respect them can decide what to present and how to explain,” Kirby adds, without issuing any further statements about the merits of Poland’s decision and emphasizing that it is not up to the United States. “To somehow explain Poland’s decisions.”

“Sovereign decisions” is an expression also used by the Secretary of State, Anthony Blinken, serving in Niger. “Regarding Poland’s decision to provide Ukraine with jets, these are sovereign decisions made by countries to do what they see fit to help Ukraine defend itself against Russian aggression,” Blinken said. “We’re obviously working closely with a number of countries on these issues, but different countries do different things based on what they have and what their perceived needs are.”

“Our goal was to do everything we could to make sure that Ukraine had what it needed, what it could use, and what it especially needed right now.” of the territories occupied by Russia.