Poland said on Tuesday that it was “ready to move without delay and free of charge all its Mig-29 aircraft to the Ramstein base (in Germany) and to make them available to the United States government”, according to a press release from the Polish ministry. Foreign Affairs.
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The United States does not want to risk an escalation of the conflict in Ukraine. Washington on Tuesday, March 8 rejected Poland’s proposal to put its Mig-29 planes at its disposal. The Americans could then deliver them to the Ukrainians to help them against the invasion of Russia. “We don’t think Poland’s proposal is viable”Pentagon spokesman John Kirby said in a statement. “The prospect of fighter jets, at the disposal of the United States government, departing from a United States/NATO base in Germany to fly into disputed airspace with Russia over Ukraine raises concerns. serious concerns for the whole of NATO”he added.
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Earlier on Tuesday, Poland claimed to be “ready to move without delay and free of charge all its Mig-29 aircraft to the Ramstein base (in Germany) and to place them at the disposal of the United States government”, had assured a press release from the Polish Ministry of Foreign Affairs. A proposal that had surprised the United States. Across the Atlantic, there are concerns about a risk of a clash between NATO and Russian forces. This could degenerate if Vladimir Putin considered such military assistance as a direct involvement of NATO in the conflict. Furthermore,
On Sunday, US Secretary of State Antony Blinken said during a visit to Moldova that the United States “actively working” on such an agreement with Warsaw. Polish Prime Minister Mateusz Morawiecki insisted on Tuesday evening at a press conference in Oslo that “Poland is not a party to this war and NATO is not a party to this war”. “This is why any decision to deliver offensive weapons must be taken by NATO as a whole, on the basis of unanimity”, he continued. For the US government, “the decision whether or not to transfer Polish aircraft to Ukraine ultimately rests with the Polish government”said John Kirby in his press release. “We will continue consultations with Poland and the other NATO allies on this subject and its logistical difficulties”he concluded.