Tony Blinken in Poland over the weekend.
The Polish Minister of Foreign Affairs agreed on Tuesday to send their Russian AI MIG-29 jets to Ramstein Air Base in exchange for used aircraft with equal capabilities.
The US is then expected to hand over the jets to Ukraine for their war with Russia.
Ukrainian pilots are trained to fly Soviet-era fighter jets.
The Guardian reported:
The Polish foreign minister, Zbigniew Rau, said his government was “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”.
Poland is thought to have 28 of the Soviet-era warplanes, and has been in negotiation with the Biden administration on a three-way deal to supply Ukraine with air power, on condition that the MiGs would be replaced by newer US jets.
Via the Government of Poland website.
The authorities of the Republic of Poland, after consultations between the President and the Government, 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.
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.
The Polish Government also requests other NATO Allies – owners of MIG-29 jets – to act in the same vein.
Update: The U.S. rejected the deal. The two NATO countries either didn’t coordinate the announcement, or someone from the Biden/Blinken camp don’t know what they are doing, or someone tried to trip off the Polish administration into starting WWIII and failed.
🚨Pentagon nixes Polish plan to give MiG’s to Ukraine via Ramstein:
“departing from a U.S./NATO base in Germany to fly into airspace that is contested with Russia over Ukraine raises serious concerns for the entire NATO alliance…simply not clear there is substantive rationale.” pic.twitter.com/DQv5MlUcvX
— Jacqui Heinrich (@JacquiHeinrich) March 8, 2022
