After much indecision over the supply of MiG-29s to Ukraine, an agreement was reached between Poland and Slovakia that could arm its neighbor.
After Ukraine’s frustrated attempts to receive MiG-29 Fulcrum fighters from its Polish neighbors or even to rely on U.S. fighters, in which its pilots are not trained, an agreement is brewing to bolster Ukrainian defense.
Important visit of ???????? Minister of Defence @mblaszczak today. Much appreciated help from our #Ally – glad to confirm that ???????? is ready to protect #SlovakAirspace. Ongoing mutual effort to support #Ukraine ???????? discussed.#StrongerTogether ????????+????????=???? pic.twitter.com/he2sP9BYMb
— Jaro Nad (@JaroNad) April 29, 2022
According to revelations by the defense minister of Slovakia, a former member of the Warsaw Pact that is now on the other side of the coin as an integral part of NATO, the country has confirmed that it will outsource the protection of its airspace «in a mutual effort to support Ukraine.»
This effort is being coordinated with its other neighbor, Poland, which is also a NATO member and has agreed to patrol Slovakia’s airspace, provided it stops flying its 11 MiG-29 fighter jets and sends them to Ukraine, reports The New York Times.
Although it did not explicitly say it would provide Fulcrum fighters, which are also used by Poland, Russia, Ukraine, and other Eastern European countries, it was implied that assistance with fighters could occur.
As reported by our partner site Aeroin, Slovakia has already sent S300 long-range anti-aircraft batteries to Ukraine and sending MiG-29 fighters would not be far off. However, these are the only fighters the country has, which will receive 14 U.S. Lockheed Martin F-16V Fighting Falcon fighters upgraded to Block 70 by the middle of this decade, the fighter manufacturer reports.
Until then, so as not to be left without surveillance, Poland will take over the allied country’s airspace, a NATO standard, and a practice from which the Poles themselves have benefited in the past and present.
It is not clear whether and how Ukraine will receive the Mig-29s from Slovakia, nor the date for this, probably for security reasons. So far, Russia has not commented on the matter, but is expected to do so, as it has been doing, with threats whenever any country proposes assistance for Ukraine.
