The prospect of seeing aircraft on a basis of the United States and NATO in Germany to the conflict zone “raises serious concerns for all” Country countries, has explained the pentagon.
Le Monde with AFP
First surprised, the United States finally declined, Tuesday, March 8, the proposal of Poland to provide them with MIG-29 hunting planes to deliver them to Ukraine to help them cope. at the Russian invasion.
“We do not think that Poland’s proposal is feasible,” said Pentagon spokesman John Kirby in a statement.
“The perspective of combat aircraft” at the disposal of the United States Government “Starting from a United States and NATO base in Germany to fly to an airspace disputed with Russia above Ukraine raises serious concerns for the whole NATO, “said Kirby. It states, however, that Washington continues consultations with Warsaw on the subject.
In the day, Poland had stated to be “ready to move without delay and free of charge all his MIG-29 aircraft on the [American] basis of Ramstein [in Germany] and to make them available to the Government of the United States. United “.
MIG-29, such as Sukhoi-27 (anti-aircraft defense and soil support) and Sukhoi-25 bomber hunters, are the only ones that Ukrainian pilots might handle without prior training.
“At the same time, Poland asks the United States to provide it with used aircraft with the same operational capacities. Poland is ready to immediately set the conditions of the acquisition” of these devices, explained the ministry Polish foreign affairs. In replacement of these Soviet aircraft MIG-29, had affirmed American media, Washington would have been ready to provide F-16s to Poland.
Risk of hanging and climbing
The number three of the American diplomacy, Victoria Zenand, acknowledged that his country had been taken short by the “surprise” announcement of the Polish.
The United States is concerned about a risk of attachment between the Atlantic Alliance (NATO) and the Russian forces that could degenerate if Russia of Vladimir Putin considered such military assistance as a direct involvement of the NATO in the war with Ukraine.
On Sunday, the US Secretary of State Antony Blinken said, during a visit to Moldova, that the United States “actively worked” on such an agreement with Warsaw.
Poland has about thirty of these Soviet design devices, but according to media, only 23 would be technically ready to be sent to Ramstein.
Polish Prime Minister Moueusz Morawiecki insisted on Tuesday night at a press conference in Oslo, on the fact that “Poland is not party to this war and NATO is not party to this war “.
No” real logic “
“That’s why any decision to deliver offensive weapons must be taken by the entire NATO, on the basis of unanimity. That’s why we are ready to give all our fleet of hunting aircraft to Ramstein, but we are not ready to do anything alone, because, as I said, we are not a party to this war, “he continued.
For the US government, “the decision to transfer or not Polish aircraft to Ukraine returns to the Polish government,” said John Kirby in his communiqué. “It’s just not clear for us if there is a real logic” to such an agreement, “he added. “We will continue consultations with Poland and other NATO allies on this subject and its logistical difficulties”.
Only a few countries in Eastern Europe, former members of the Warsaw Covenant, officially have in their Soviet MIG-29 fleet, whose anti-aircraft capacities are those that most correspond to the Ukrainian needs to combat the Russian hunting . The Polish Government also invited other NATO Member States – which hold MIG-29 – to follow its example.