Germany this time he did not hesitate and immediately authorized him to send five to Poland. Warriors MiG-29 from the army of the extinct German Democratic Republic (DAC), communist Germany.
Secretary of Defence, Boris PistoriusHe approved this operation as proof of its “reliability”. Berlin for its partners. “The request reached our department today and we are happy to confirm it,” Pistorius said in a statement.
Text of the President of Poland, Andrzej Dudafurthered his country’s goal of delivering more aircraft. Kyiv During his last visit to Warsaw by his Ukrainian counterpart, Volodymyr Zelensky.
The five MiG-29s come from a batch of 22 units purchased from Germany in 2002, three years later. unification of germany and the incorporation of the GDR into the territory of the Federal Republic of Germany (FRG). In accordance with the terms of the contract, Poland If he wanted to sell it or transfer it to a third country, he had to request this permission from Berlin.
as in leopards
A situation similar to what happened months ago, namely with tanks. leopard 2, German made. The difference is that, amid strong pressure from Kiev and Warsaw, it took weeks for Berlin to make a decision on the matter. Finally got the green light to submit. tanks in the armed forces of their own armies and other NATO allies.
With the approval of Germany, it was possible to send the Leopard 2, which Ukraine claimed was necessary for a war. land attack. With 18 units delivered by Berlin, Poland, Finland, SpainPortugal and Canada, among other Western allies. United States of AmericaFor its part, it will provide Abrams tanks equivalent to this model, but of its own production.
No to warplanes
Like Washington, Berlin has so far refused to surrender. warplanes Thinking that this would mean the active participation of pilots in NATO in the war against Russia, he went to Ukraine. Russia. However, according to the aforementioned media, the government Olaf Schölz He sees no problem with MiG-29s, which are Soviet-made and can be flown by Ukrainian soldiers. For Berlin, surrendering Western-made fighters, on the contrary, would be a huge leap forward.
Poland delivered the first four MiG-29s, which were not part of the lot purchased from Germany, to Ukraine at the end of March, as Warsaw made it clear at the time. government Mateusz Morawiecki There he confirmed his intention to procure six more fighters immediately and, in the medium term, an indefinite number of more, possibly from the GDR.
Warsaw considers that this does not reduce the capacity of the Polish air force, which in 2020 signed a contract for the purchase of modern US-made F-35 fighter aircraft. Poland will receive the first units of 32 fighter jets of this model purchased in 2025.