Poland said today that it was still willing to deliver the MiG-29 aircraft to Ukraine, but only within NATO. The US therefore plays a crucial role in the possible deal.
Furthermore, the NATO countries had previously indicated that they did not want to become involved in fighting with Russia and Ukraine, even indirectly.
Alternative to no-fly zone
Ukraine is dying for the fighter jets. Markiyan Lubkivsky, adviser to Ukraine’s defense minister, said last night against the NOS: “This can help us to defeat the Russians in the air as well”.
Lubkivsky sees the delivery of the aircraft as an alternative to establishing a no-fly zone, something NATO is hesitant about: the alliance would then directly intervene in the war, threatening further escalation.
Last weekend it became clear that the US and Poland consulted about the delivery of the fighter jets. Leaders of other NATO countries spoke reluctantly about such a possible deal. Russia could interpret the delivery of the planes, like the establishment of a no-fly zone, as a direct NATO intervention in the war.
Frans Osinga, professor by special appointment of war studies in Leiden, thinks that the Americans were taken by surprise by the Polish proposal and also by the fact that it was suddenly made public by the Polish Ministry of Foreign Affairs via a press statement last night.
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