Duda did not say whether other countries would follow suit, though Slovakia has stated that it will send its decommissioned MiGs to Ukraine. On Wednesday, Piotr Mueller, a spokesman for the Polish government, said that some other countries with MiGs had also pledged them to Kiev, but he did not name them. While Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky has asked Western allies to share fighter jets, Nato allies have expressed reservations. Ukraine had several dozen MiG-29s inherited from the Soviet Union prior to Russia's full-scale invasion, but it's unclear how many of them are still in service after more than a year of fighting. Duda made the announcement during a joint press conference in Warsaw with Czech President Petr Pavel. Duda stated that Poland's air force will replace the planes it provides to Ukraine with South Korean-made FA-50 fighters and American-made F-35 fighters.
Why is Ukraine interested in fighter jets?
After receiving tanks from its western allies, Ukraine has requested another set of powerful weapons, fighter jets, in an attempt to turn the tide of the Ukraine war. Yuriy Sak, the advisor to Ukraine's Defense Minister Oleksii Reznikov, stated that these jets will provide a "immense advantage" on the battlefield and that the country desired fourth-generation aircraft. Zelensky recently urged the United Kingdom and Western allies to provide "wings for freedom" by supplying advanced jets to his air force, saying he wanted a coalition of nations to supply planes. Ukraine had only a small air force at the start of the war, including Soviet-standard jets, which has shrunk as the war has progressed, and it will soon require a boost, for which assistance from the West will be critical. Kyiv is also reportedly planning an offensive in the spring, despite Moscow's efforts to break the ongoing military standoff. As a result, Ukraine hopes to use effective fighter jets to achieve success in the next phase of the war with Russia.
By Covenantblog
