Warsaw plans to hand over its entire MiG-29 fleet to Kiev, once it receives South Korean FA-50 and U.S. F-35 fighters
Ukrainian President Volodimir Zelenski is on an official visit to Poland on Wednesday, his first since the war began. Warsaw has become Kiev’s closest ally and the country that has taken the lead in supporting and sending weapons to the front.
In fact, Polish President Andrzej Duda, on the occasion of Zelenski’s trip, announced that eight MiG-29 fighter jets have already been transferred to Ukraine and that they are also working to speed up the delivery of six more.
Duda has stated that Poland will cede its entire remaining fleet of MiG-29s to Ukraine, once they receive the South Korean FA-50 and U.S. F-35 fighters as replacements. “We still have MiGs at our disposal that have been modernized and are now adapted to NATO standards,” the Polish president said.
The president also explained that the delivery of these fighters to Ukraine still has to go through “some additional formalities”, as they have modifications and equipment purchased from the United States and other countries, which is why he needs their authorization.
For his part, Zelenski defined the situation on the front, but especially in Bakhmut as “very difficult”. The Ukrainian president, however, denied the Russian Army and assured that “the enemy does not control Bakhmut”.
Although he did acknowledge the “continuous heavy artillery attacks” and “shortage of ammunition” faced by Ukrainian forces in the city. He also had words of thanks to Warsaw and expressed his wish that “one day there will be no borders, neither political nor historical, between Poland and Ukraine.”
“In this war there are no compromises: we will not surrender our territory, our freedom or our children,” emphasized the Ukrainian president, who added that the war waged by his country is in defense of “Europe and freedom.”
Zelenski is scheduled to meet Polish Prime Minister Mateusz Morawiecki and to hold a public appearance in Warsaw’s Castle Square where a massive influx of Ukrainian refugees is expected.