In a move that took the United States by surprise, Poland Tuesday offered to give all of its MiG-29 fighter jets to a US air base in Germany, who was then expected to pass on the warplanes to the Ukrainian military. The Pentagon, however, rejected the offer, with spokesman John Kirby explaining that Poland's declaration raised the concerning prospect of warplanes departing from a US and Nato base to fly into airspace contested with Russia in the Ukraine conflict. "We will continue to consult with Poland and our other NATO allies about this issue and the difficult logistical challenges it presents, but we do not believe Poland's proposal is a tenable one," Kirby said in a statement. 🗞️ Subscribe Now: Get Express Premium to access the best Election reporting and analysis 🗞️ Why Ukraine needs Poland's jets Since the Russian invasion two weeks ago, Ukraine has held its ground against Moscow's troops on the ground and in air. However, Ukrainian authorities, including President Volodymyr Zelenskyy, have asked for weapons and equipment. Ukrainian pilots have been trained to fly Soviet-made jets, which means that supplying them with US-made aircraft would be less efficient than providing aircraft that they are already familiar with. It is here that Poland's offer comes into the picture. The Mikoyan MiG-29 fighter jets, which Warsaw has offered, are Soviet-made warplanes first made during the 1970s. They are in operation in a number of European countries, including Bulgaria and Slovakia. India too uses the MiG-29 aircraft. While offering its own aircraft, the Polish government also appealed to other owners of MiG-29 jets to follow its lead. Will it help Ukraine? If Nato was to hand over the Polish MiG-29s to Ukraine, it would be a clear signal of the West's willingness to aid Ukraine in the war. Militarily, however, the number of planes offered would make it unlikely to be a game-changer, says an Associated Press report. MiG-29s are reportedly inferior to more sophisticated Russian aircraft and could be an easy prey for Russian pilots and Russian missiles. A senior US defense official told AP that the Ukrainians are flying relatively few of their existing aircraft, for relatively little time, as it is. The defense official, who spoke on condition of anonymity to discuss the US assessment, said it's possible that Ukraine does not need more planes and would benefit most from the weapons it uses effectively every day, including anti-aircraft Stinger and anti-tank Javelin missiles. The official also said that Russia currently has the capacity to target almost the entire Ukraine with its surface-to-air missiles, including from within Russia and from ships in the Black Sea. What is in it for Poland? Poland's proposal to Washington is essentially a swap offer. Under this, Warsaw will supply Ukraine with the MiG-29s and in turn receive used American F-16s to make up for their loss. In a statement, the Polish Foreign Ministry said Poland is ready to deliver the jets to the US Ramstein Air Base in Germany. "At the same time, Poland requests the United States to provide us with used aircraft with corresponding operational capabilities," it said. Since Poland too is under threat from Russia, it is imperative that it not allow its own forces to be weakened post this move. US reaction White House officials were blindsided by the Polish announcement on the MiGs, according to an AP report. The proposal did not come up during talks with Secretary of State Antony Blinken when he was recently in Poland, said the report, citing a US official familiar with the talks. The US official, who spoke on the condition of anonymity, told AP that White House officials did not think the proposal would easily solve the logistical challenges of providing aircraft to Ukraine. US Undersecretary of State Victoria Nuland told lawmakers at a hearing on the Ukraine crisis Tuesday she learned of Poland's plans only while driving to the hearing. "To my knowledge, it wasn't pre-consulted with us," Nuland told senators. Could Russia retaliate? Russia has said that supporting Ukraine's air force would be tantamount to joining the war, and could spur retaliation. While this is a valid threat for EU nations and Nato signatories, it is unlikely that Russia would get into a war with the US. The European Union and Nato has been reluctant to be overtly involved in any transfer of warplanes. However, the US could accept a "donation" of fighter jets from European nations like Poland, repaint them at the US' airbase in Germany, and transfer them to a friendly non-Nato, non-EU country (like Kosova, for instance), from where Ukrainian pilots could pick them up. Newsletter | Click to get the day's best explainers in your inbox
