Poland has already handed over several MiG fighter jets to Ukraine. Now those are to follow in which the federal government has a say – it wants to decide quickly.
The federal government wants to decide today whether it will give Poland its approval for the delivery of Soviet-designed combat aircraft to the Ukraine. Defense Minister Boris Pistorius (SPD) said this on the sidelines of a visit to German soldiers in West African Mali. It’s about MiG-29 jets from GDR old stock that Germany had given to Poland. Berlin must now agree to the transfer.
Pistorius said in Gao that he could confirm that Poland’s application existed. “It’s available.” The Federal Chancellery is currently in coordination with the Ministry of Defense and other parties involved. “And the promise stands that a reply will be sent to our Polish partners later today.”
“You can guess my opinion”
Pistorius declined to comment on whether he would support Poland’s request. He has an opinion on that. “But you don’t have to state every opinion you have. You can imagine my opinion,” he said. The SPD politician is considered a staunch advocate of supporting Ukraine by all possible means.
In March, Poland announced the delivery of MiG-29 fighter jets to Ukraine to help the country fight the Russian attack. Initially, however, no machines from former GDR stocks were delivered, that is now changing.
In 2002, Germany had sold 22 fighter jets of this type to Poland, which the Bundeswehr had taken over from the National People’s Army (NVA) of the GDR. The security advisor to Polish President Andrzej Duda, Jacek Siewiera, said at the end of March that the Polish Air Force still has about a dozen of them today. The sales contracts for armaments from Germany usually stipulate that the federal government must agree to a possible later transfer.
Strack carpenter for delivery
The FDP defense politician Marie-Agnes Strack-Zimmermann is firmly in favor of giving Poland approval for the delivery. “We should definitely approve that,” said the chair of the Bundestag Defense Committee in the Malian city of Gao. This should be “absolutely done”. It’s about five machines.
The FDP defense politician does not fear that such a decision would draw Germany into the Russian war of aggression in Ukraine. “The MiG isn’t a German fighter plane, it’s air-to-air. That means it’s capable of parrying Russian aircraft attacks. That’s what it’s built for.” Something else would be the delivery of aircraft that could have an impact far into the Russian area, said Strack-Zimmermann. “That’s exactly what we don’t want.”
Warsaw: Already eight MiG-29 fighter jets delivered to Ukraine
Poland’s President Duda said last week that his country had already delivered eight MiG-29 fighter jets to Ukraine. Four of the planes were given to Kiev “over the past few months,” he said after a meeting with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky in Warsaw. Four more MiG-29s were “recently” delivered to the neighboring country attacked by Russia. In addition, six MiG-29s are currently being prepared for delivery.
Other MiG-29s remained in service with the Polish armed forces for the time being, Duda said. Only if they are successively replaced by modern fighter jets, which Poland has already ordered in South Korea and the USA, could these machines also be left to Ukraine. In addition to Poland, Slovakia has already delivered four MiG-29s to Kiev.
Source: Stern
I have been working in the news industry for over 6 years, first as a reporter and now as an editor. I have covered politics extensively, and my work has appeared in major newspapers and online news outlets around the world. In addition to my writing, I also contribute regularly to 24 Hours World.
