Warsaw, 8 April 2023 (GNP): Following President Volodymyr Zelenskyy’s state visit to Poland on Wednesday, Polish president Andrzej Duda pledged to deploy 14 MiG-29 fighter jets to the neighboring country Ukraine in an effort to bolster relations.
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Zelensky extended appreciation to Poland for being one of the country’s strongest allies in the war, supplying it with weaponry, and taking in refugees.
After a conversation with Zelensky, Andrzej Duda stated, “Today we are trying to get for Ukraine… additional guarantees, security guarantees, which will strengthen Ukraine’s military potential”.
Poland “firmly” supports Kyiv’s bid to join the alliance, according to Duda, who added that these assurances constitute an “introduction to Ukraine’s full membership in Nato.”
Russian President Vladimir Putin has exploited Ukraine’s desire to join the alliance as justification for the invasion, even though Ukraine was far from joining when hostilities first broke out in February 2022.
Poland’s assistance in helping Kyiv join the EU and NATO was acknowledged by Zelensky.
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He said, “I would like to convey to our partners, who are constantly looking for compromises on our way to Nato, that Ukraine will be uncompromising in this as well”.
“I am grateful that Poland will be with us on this path,” he added.
Poland, which borders Ukraine, became the first member of Nato that pledged to provide the MiG-29 fighter jets that Ukraine had requested.
The pledge comes after Poland delivered four of its Soviet-built fighters to Kyiv after agreeing last month to send the first combat aircraft cargo by a Nato country, increasing the amount of Western military assistance to Kyiv.
Nearly a dozen aircraft that it had inherited from the former German Democratic Republic would be handed over in the upcoming days after being maintained, according to President Andrzej Duda.
“When it comes to the MiG-29 aircraft, which are still operating in the defense of Polish airspace, a decision has been taken at the highest levels, we can say confidently that we are sending MiGs to Ukraine”, he said.
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Leopard 2A4 tanks, which Kyiv has long desired in an effort to drive Russia off its soil, have also been handed to Ukraine by Warsaw.
In providing Kyiv with heavy weaponry, Warsaw has assumed a leading position among NATO partners.
A step beyond the rest of the alliance’s promises, Poland’s statement that it will send the Soviet-designed aircraft may put pressure on other members to follow suit.
The US said on Thursday that Poland’s proposal would not require Washington to act, given that other NATO countries have been unwilling to go much beyond their recent decision of sending tanks to Kyiv.
Andrej Duda underlined the two nations’ combined support for Kyiv while speaking at a news conference in Warsaw with his new Czech counterpart, Petr Pavel.
“The Czech Republic and Poland are countries that are in the absolute vanguard when it comes to supporting Ukraine, both at humanitarian and military levels”, he said.
According to UN statistics, Poland has played a critical role in mobilizing Western military aid for Ukraine and has taken in 1.5 million Ukrainian refugees.
Moreover, Zelenskyy met with Ukrainian refugees after the meeting. He was scheduled to address Poles and Ukrainians at Warsaw’s royal palace to conclude his day-long tour.
