On Tuesday, the USA denied an unexpected recommendation by NATO partner Poland to gift its Russian-made MiG-29 aircraft to a US facility in Germany to boost Ukraine’s air forces in the face of advancing Russian forces.
Fighter Jets Are One Step Too Far
The US endeavored to expedite the transfer of weapons to Ukraine.
However, sending fighter planes into a war zone on NATO territory “raises major concerns for the whole NATO alliance,” according to the US military.
NATO stated it does not want to engage in direct war with Russia, a fellow nuclear-enabled power.
Biden has ruled out having to send US troops into Ukraine to combat, a decision the Pentagon stated would apply to soldiers on the ground, as well as those flying operations in the air.
The Pentagon’s secretary, John Kirby, said about Poland’s plan, “It is just not clear to us there is a fundamental reason for it.”
They stole a russian tank, again)#Ukraine️ #StopPutinNOW #StopRussia pic.twitter.com/ufEYwIZn42
— Byrgada (@byrgada) March 8, 2022
On Tuesday, Poland’s foreign office declared it was ready for deployment its MiG-29 fighter fighters to Germany’s Ramstein Air Base and make them available to the US. It advised the alliance’s other partners with similar aircraft to do just that.
The Polish plan surprised the US, according to the US State Department’s No. 3 official.
At a Senate Foreign Relations Committee meeting, State Department Undersecretary of State for Government Affairs Victoria Nuland said, “To my knowledge, it was not pre-consulted with us that they meant to provide us these aircraft.”
“I believe that was a surprise maneuver by the Poles,” she explained.
The standoff raises doubts about the feasibility of Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskiy’s request for European countries to deliver Russian-made jets, which he emphasized in a video chat with US legislators on Saturday.
Ukraine is in a Tight Spot
Members of Congress in the United States are pressuring the Biden administration to expedite the delivery of military aid to Ukraine. Poland’s declaration, on the other hand, could be a reflection of its own sensitivities.
Poland is providing defensive armaments to Ukraine but stated it will not send jet fighters since it is not a major party to the conflict involving Ukraine and Russia, which is not a NATO ally.
#Zelensky has posted a new video today from the center of #Kyiv. He said: “Snow is falling. That is the spring [we have]. Well, what the war [we have], such the spring [we have]. But all will be fine, we will prevail”. #Ukraine️ #UkraineUnderAttaсk #RussiaUkraineWar pic.twitter.com/4OnW9lkIWw
— Anthony Buchanan (@anthonyscountry) March 9, 2022
Russia’s military minister warned nations providing airfields to Ukraine in trade for attacks on Russia might be considered belligerents.
The primary challenge, as par to Nuland, was figuring out what Poland’s urgent requirements would be, considering its proximity to the conflict.
“Poland – the NATO alliance provides them with complete air security. The most pressing issue is determining what Poland’s urgent needs are in the framework of being a conflict’s neighbor,” she stated.
One thing is definitely for sure: no one can truly predict exactly how this thing will play out or end.
