Germany wants to make quick decision on transferring Polish MiG-29 jets to Ukraine

Berlin wants to decide this Thursday whether it will agree to allow Poland to transfer Soviet-made MiG-29 fighter jets from East Germany's stockpile to Ukraine.

Source: DPA German news outlet, citing German Defence Minister Boris Pistorius, reported by European Pravda

Quote from DPA: "The German government wants to decide this Thursday whether it will give its approval to Poland for a delivery of Soviet-designed MiG-29 fighter jets to Ukraine, says Defence Minister Boris Pistorius.."

Details: The minister has made the statement unofficially during his visit to German soldiers in Mali, the news outlet said.

These are MiG-29 fighter jets from the old stockpiles of the German Democratic Republic, which Germany once sold to Poland.

Poland requested permission to transfer the aircraft to Ukraine on Thursday.

In March, Poland announced the transfer of Soviet-made MiG-29 fighter jets to Ukraine to support the country in its fight against Russian aggression. Some of the jets have already been handed over to Ukraine, but according to the German media outlet, none of them were from the former East German stockpile.

In 2002, Germany sold 23 MiG-29 fighter jets to Poland, which the Bundeswehr inherited from the army of the German Democratic Republic

Jacek Siewiera, a security adviser to Polish President Andrzej Duda, said in late March that the Polish Air Force still has about a dozen of these aircraft in service. 

Usually, contracts for the sale of military equipment from Germany mean that the German government must agree to a possible transfer to a third party.

Background: Last week, Polish President Andrzej Duda said that his country had already sent eight MiG-29 fighter jets to Ukraine.

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