The White House said the response to Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky’s request for warplanes is facing hurdles, in addition to getting Poland’s consent to transfer some of its planes, but also how the warplanes get into Ukraine.
“Where will they leave from, where will they land?” White House Press Secretary Jen Psaki said Monday. “There are a number of difficult practical issues.”
Poland has become a leading Western contender for the supply of aircraft to Ukraine, because the country operates modernized Soviet-era MiG-29 fighters that could probably be flown by Ukrainian pilots. Mr. Zelenskiy lobbied Congress on Saturday for a deal to supply planes and other military equipment to help the country fight invading Russian troops.
Secretary of State Anthony Blinken said the US is looking for ways to replenish Poland’s arsenal if it supplies MiGs to Ukraine.
Polish officials have been somewhat lukewarm about the idea, in part because they fear it could provoke a Russian attack on the country. On Sunday, Poland’s prime minister’s office denied reports of the country’s potential deal to transfer combat aircraft, although two Polish officials close to the matter said Poland would at least consider a proposal that Washington was willing to put forward.
The Polish Air Force still has a little less than 30 Soviet-made MiG-29 combat aircraft in service.
“This is a sovereign decision by Poland,” Mr. Psaki said, adding: “We did not object in any way to the transfer of aircraft by Poland to Ukraine.”
According to her, obtaining aircraft to replenish the Polish Air Force’s fleet, which also includes Lockheed Martin’s F-16 fighters, is also not an easy task. “Buying new aircraft and transferring major weapons systems often takes years,” she said. “We’re also working through some pretty complex logistics on that front.”