(FreedomBeacon.com)- Polish President Andrzej Duda said that his nation would deploy four MiG-29 fighter planes to Ukraine within the next few weeks, with a dozen more to follow following maintenance.
In response to Zelensky’s request for additional support in Ukraine’s fight against Russian aggression, Poland has become the first NATO country to send warplanes there. However, this has not altered the stance of the Biden administration, which stated it would not be sending its planes.
On Thursday, John Kirby, a United States National Security Council spokesperson, told reporters that the Polish decision to deploy aircraft doesn’t affect the U.S. judgment concerning F16s.
Poland has decided to deploy fighter planes to Ukraine to aid the country in destroying Russian air and ground targets within its radar range. Because of their massive wing extensions, MiG-29s are highly maneuverable and easy to fly at subsonic speeds.
Slovakia, another ally, has also promised to provide MiG airplanes to Kyiv, albeit they intend to send retired aircraft. In a statement, Polish Prime Minister Mateusz Morawiecki indicated that his country’s jets would be shipped in four to six weeks.
Despite NATO’s best efforts, sending in the planes has been met with reluctance due to concerns that it would only serve to intensify the conflict.
US President Joseph Biden warned that deploying tanks and planes to the region might lead to World War III, but this did not stop the administration from declaring in February that tanks would be deployed, along with American personnel who would assist the Ukrainians in training.
Two Ukrainian aviators were being tested in Arizona earlier this month by the US military to see how long it would take them to become proficient in flying F-16 fighter planes.
In January, Dutch minister of international affairs Wopke Hoekstra claimed his country was contemplating selling fighter planes to Ukraine. Due to the necessity to educate pilots accustomed to Soviet-era fighter planes, Richie Sunak’s United Kingdom has not leaped at the chance to deploy its Typhoon and F-35 fighters.
Last week, Poland’s prime minister also said that his country will supply F-16 fighter jets built in the United States if approved by the Biden administration.
