Poland considers Ukraine's proposal on transfer of MiG-29 fighter jets
Polish Deputy Defence Minister Paulina Sobkowiak-Czarnecka has said that Ukraine has submitted Warsaw with a "concrete proposal" regarding MiG-29 fighter jets, offering to exchange them for drone technology.
Source: European Pravda, citing the Polish Press Agency (РАР)
Details: Sobkowiak-Czarnecka said Ukraine's proposal is straightforward: Poland would supply the fighter jets, while Ukraine would provide drone technology in return. She added that the government is "not currently discussing" a scenario in which Poland would pay to modernise the aircraft.
"A concrete response from the Ukrainian side has been on the table for several days now, detailing what drone technology they can provide in exchange for the MiG fighter jets," she said.
She was also asked why Poland was not selling the MiG-29 fighter jets to Bulgaria, which has expressed an interest in purchasing them.
In response, Sobkowiak-Czarnecka said negotiations on the aircraft had initially begun with Ukraine.
She added that Defence Minister Władysław Kosiniak-Kamysz would make a decision after reviewing Ukraine's proposal.
Sobkowiak-Czarnecka also stressed that the matter would not remain unresolved for long and should be decided within "a matter of weeks at most".
Background:
- At the end of June, Kosiniak-Kamysz said Ukraine had withdrawn from the proposed "MiGs for drones" agreement. A few days later, he claimed this was due to a historical dispute between Kyiv and Warsaw.
- However, in July, Kosiniak-Kamysz said reaching an agreement on the issue was still possible.
- He later stated that Bulgaria was interested in purchasing Polish MiG-29 fighter jets, which Ukraine also wants, but that Warsaw had not ruled out reaching an agreement with Kyiv.
- On 29 July, Kosiniak-Kamysz said the Ukrainian side had once again expressed interest in acquiring Polish MiG-29 fighter jets in exchange for drone technology.
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