Poland Offers MiG-29 Fighters to Ukraine, U.S. Deems Deal Untenable

Fighter jets departing from a NATO base in Germany into Ukrainian airspace contested by Russia "raises serious concerns for the entire NATO alliance," a Pentagon spokesperson said.

Kimberly Johnson

Wednesday, March 09, 2022 at 04:14 PM ET

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Polish Mikoyan Gurevich MiG-29A at Airpower in Zeltweg, Austria. [Courtesy: Shutterstock]

Key Takeaways:

The Pentagon rejected Poland's offer to transfer MiG-29 fighter jets to Ukraine via a U.S. airbase in Germany, citing "logistic concerns for NATO allies" and the risk of escalating conflict with Russia.
Poland's public announcement of the proposal reportedly surprised U.S. officials, despite earlier discussions, and other NATO allies like Germany also deemed the specific plan untenable.
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky strongly criticized the delay, emphasizing the urgent need for aircraft for "human lives" and urging allies to "solve it faster."
Despite the rejection, some analysts believe a solution will eventually be found due to the symbolic importance of getting the jets to Ukraine.

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The Pentagon rejected an offer made by Poland to send its fleet of MiG-29 fighter jets to Ukraine via a U.S. military base in Germany, citing logistic concerns for NATO allies, a defense official said Tuesday evening.

The decision appears to be an about-face after U.S. officials over the weekend gave “a green light” to discussions of the plan that would have facilitated a fighter aircraft swap among NATO countries and Ukraine after President Volodymyr Zelensky made numerous appeals for additional air assets.