Britain is ready to help Poland fill its air defence gaps caused by Warsaw sending some of its MiG-29 fighter jets to Ukraine but Poland has not yet made such requests, British Armed Forces Minister James Heappey was quoted as saying on Monday.
Poland last week said it would send Ukraine four MiG-29 fighter jets in coming days, making it the first of Kyiv's allies to provide such aircraft and possibly creating a need to ramp up Poland's air defence equipment.
Britain would be able to help fill such gaps, as it previously did when Poland sent T-72 main battle tanks to Ukraine, providing Warsaw with Challenger 2 tanks, Heappey told German newspaper Welt.
"We will look very positively at a Polish request to fill in the gaps that have arisen," Heappey said.
MiG-29s for Ukraine
One of Ukraine's staunchest supporters, Warsaw has taken a leading role in persuading sometimes hesitant allies to provide Kyiv with heavy weaponry. It has said that any transfer of jets would be as part of a coalition.
"Firstly, literally within the next few days, we will hand over, as far as I remember, four aircraft to Ukraine in full working order," Andrzej Duda said on March 16. "The rest are being prepared, serviced," he added.
Duda said that Poland had roughly 10-20 MiG 29 jets.
The U.S. was informed of Poland's decision to provide Ukraine with fighter jets, the White House said on Thursday.
"We continue to closely coordinate with our allies and partners, including Poland, as we provide assistance to Ukraine," White House press secretary Karine Jean-Pierre told reporters.
Slovakia follows suit
On March 17, Slovakia became the second of Ukraine's allies to provide MIG-29 fighter jets which Kyiv believes are crucial to repel Russia's year-long invasion.
Its fleet of 11 MiG-29 planes was retired last summer and most of them are not in operational condition. It will send those that are operational and the rest will go for spare parts.
Slovakia will also supply part of its KUB air-defence system, Prime Minister Eduard Heger said.
"Today, the government decided and unanimously approved an international agreement (on the donation)," Heger said adding that the process of handing over these fighter jets was closely coordinated with Poland, Ukraine and other allies.
Slovakia will receive financial compensation the European Union. It has also reached an agreement with the United States on deliveries of military material worth around $700 million, Heger said.
Slovakia ordered F-16 fighter jets from the United States in 2018 to replace the ageing MiG-29 planes. The first U.S.-made planes are expected to arrive in 2024 after a delay.
Źródło: TVN24 News in English, Reuters