Poland ready to send fighter jets to US base in Germany for transfer to Ukraine after Zelensky plea

The Polish government has announced that it is ready to send all its MiG-29 fighter jets to a US military base in Germany, likely to be deployed to Ukraine in the fight against the Russian invasion.

It also urged other Nato countries to also send their fighter jets of a similar type, according to a statement from the foreign ministry.

On Monday, US lawmakers urged President Joe Biden and his administration to streamline the transfer of the fighter jets to Ukraine from Poland as well as other Nato countries and Eastern European allies.

This comes after a plea on Saturday from Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky.

“The authorities of the Republic of Poland ... are ready to deploy, immediately and free of charge, all their MiG-29 jets to the Ramstein Air Base and place them at the disposal of the Government of the United States of America,” the foreign ministry said, according to Reuters.

“At the same time, Poland requests the United States to provide us with used aircraft with corresponding operational capabilities. Poland is ready to immediately establish the conditions of purchase of the planes,” they added.

On Saturday, Mr Zelensky began a private video call with US lawmakers by telling them that this may be the last time they see him alive.

Appearing in what is now his trademark army-green shirt in front of a white wall with the Ukrainian flag, he told them Ukraine needs to secure its skies, either through a no-fly zone enforced by Nato or through the provision of more warplanes so Ukraine could better defend itself.

Mr Zelensky has been pleading for a no-fly zone, but Nato has refused, saying it could provoke a wider war with Russia.

The hourlong exchange with some 300 members of Congress and their staffs came as Russian troops continued to shell encircled cities.

“President Zelensky made a desperate plea,” Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer said at the time, adding that Mr Zelensky wants the US to facilitate the transfer of planes from Eastern European allies, something which now appears to be in motion.

The US has been considering sending American-made F-16s as backfill to former Soviet bloc countries in Eastern Europe that are now members of NATO. They, in turn, can send Ukraine their own Soviet-era MiGs, which Ukrainian pilots are trained to fly.

There appears to be a logistical problem, however, in sending the F-16s to Poland or other East European allies because of a production backlog. These countries would essentially have to give their MiGs to the Ukrainians and accept an IOU from the US for the F-16s. The situation is further complicated because the next shipment of F-16s is set for Taiwan, and Congress would be reluctant to delay those deliveries as it eyes China.

When Senate Republican leader Mitch McConnell asked about the types of military support his country needs, Mr Zelensky said drones as well as planes would be the most helpful.

The Associated Press contributed to this report

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