“The Polish side is ready to train [ukraińskich] pilots on F-16s. Such training has not yet begun,” said Deputy Prime Minister, head of the Ministry of National Defense, Mariusz Błaszczak, in Brussels.
I have proposed to include this type of training in the EU training mission being conducted in Poland
said the minister.
I would like to underline the very high appreciation of this mission by the EU agencies. This proves the great preparation of our instructors. (…) This is an example of excellent cooperation between European countries in support of Ukraine. It is a tool that allows the reimbursement of costs incurred during the training of Ukrainian soldiers
he explained.
As soon as we start such training, we will of course inform you about the details. We are ready to conduct such training in Poland
– added Błaszczak after questions from journalists.
When asked about the number of Ukrainian pilots Poland can train, the head of the Ministry of National Defense replied:
We are open, but it depends on our capabilities.
He recalled that Poland is on the eastern flank of NATO and therefore also has obligations towards the Baltic states.
Leopard tank maintenance hub
I met my German counterpart, Minister (Boris) Pistorius. We talked about two things. We talked about launching a hub dedicated to the maintenance of Leopard tanks already in Ukraine. There are some challenges ahead of us, but I am optimistic that we will overcome these challenges
– said the head of the Ministry of National Defense.
We also talked about expanding the presence of German patriots on Polish soil. I’m an optimist here. I believe that Minister Pistorius will soon visit Poland. We will have the opportunity to talk about this at length
– added.
Information from the head of EU diplomacy
The fact that Poland has started training Ukrainian pilots on F-16 aircraft was previously mentioned by the head of EU diplomacy Josep Borrell. This information was also confirmed by the agency Ukrinform.
Borrell was asked ahead of the meeting of member states’ defense ministers which countries he meant when he said F-16 training had begun in some countries. In this context he mentioned Poland. “Has this training started yet?” asked the question.
Yes
he answered.
WATCH THE DETAILS: Poland has already started training Ukrainian pilots on F-16 planes! The information was provided by the head of EU diplomacy
olnk/wPolityce.pl/PAP
Source: wPolityce