Now Slovakia also wants to send fighter jets to Ukraine, these are Soviet-type models MiG-29, a total of 13 pieces. Polish President Andrzej Duda had already announced on Thursday, initially four MiGs to want to deliver, “in the next few days”. More would have to be waited for, how many exactly is not known.
When Poland shortly after the war began a year ago, Polish MiGs The United States strictly refused to move from the US base in Ramstein to Ukraine. The NATO allies continue to rule out the delivery of Western-style aircraft, although Ukraine is happy to do so F-16-Machines would have. In the past few weeks, Poland had always referred to the USA on the aircraft issue. But from there it was finally only said that it was up to each country to decide for itself.
The Slovak Prime Minister Eduard Heger personally gave the Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskiy a call in February in Brussels MiG– Delivery promised. The issue of the aircraft has been discussed since autumn – since they were retired. In order to buy a replacement, Slovakia is to receive 200 million euros from the so-called European Peace Facility, i.e. ultimately from the EU budget. The desired F-16– Fighter aircraft from the USA will cost significantly more. Poland, on the other hand, wants to buy a replacement in South Korea.
The Slovak opposition is strictly against further aid for Ukraine
Already at the beginning of the war, Slovakia had its anti-aircraft system S-300 given to the Ukraine, now next to the MiGs more Soviet-type anti-aircraft missiles kub to be delivered. Slovakia can no longer protect its own airspace, which is currently being done by German and Czech NATO units, and Poland is also supporting the neighboring country in airspace surveillance.
The Slovak opposition, led by ex-Prime Minister Robert Fico, is firmly opposed to any further aid to Ukraine. Fico, who is officially under investigation for organized crime, has been a pro-Russian opponent of NATO for some time and wants to win the new elections in the fall.
The Slovakian planes also have yet to be serviced, and some need spare parts. After all, Slovakia does not have to ask for permission to pass them on, because the aircraft come from the Czechoslovak army and, according to media information, were modernized in Russia until 2008.
It could be different with the Polish MiGs look. Poland’s President Andrzej Duda had more than a dozen MiG-29 spoken, which the Polish Air Force had taken over from GDR stocks in the 1990s. Should it be these that are now being delivered to Ukraine, the federal government would have to agree. “We heard the words of the Polish President, but we have no further information,” said government spokesman Steffen Hebestreit in Berlin. A request for transfer has not yet been received. However, Poland also has MiGs from other countries. With regard to the fact that Poland apparently did not agree on such a far-reaching decision with Germany, Hebestreit said that each country “can decide for itself” how it wants to handle this.