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WASHINGTON: The US on Tuesday rejected a Polish supply to ship MiG-29 fighter jets to Ukraine by way of a US air base, saying the proposal raised “critical issues” for the whole NATO alliance.
Warsaw caught US officers off guard with the supply to ship the Soviet-era planes to the US base in Ramstein, Germany.
Below the proposed scheme, these jets may then be deployed to Ukraine, whereas the Polish air pressure would obtain F-16 fighters as replacements.
Pentagon spokesman John Kirby stated the prospect of the jets, positioned on the disposal of the USA, flying from a US-NATO base “into airspace that’s contested with Russia over Ukraine raises critical issues for the whole NATO alliance.”
“We are going to proceed to seek the advice of with Poland and our different NATO allies about this difficulty and the troublesome logistical challenges it presents, however we don’t consider Poland’s proposal is a tenable one,” Kirby stated in a press release.
“It’s merely not clear to us that there’s a substantive rationale for it,” he added.
Kirby additionally careworn that Washington’s stance was that “the choice about whether or not to switch Polish-owned planes to Ukraine is finally one for the Polish authorities.”
Ukraine has stepped up requires Western allies to provide it with navy jets within the face of the Russian invasion, however offering Kyiv with struggle planes poses critical dangers — with NATO members unwilling to be deemed co-combatants by Moscow.
Ukraine’s air pressure fleet consists of growing older Soviet-era MiG-29 and Sukhoi-27 jets, and heavier Sukhoi-25 jets — and these are the one planes Ukrainian pilots may fly instantly with out further coaching.
US Secretary of State Antony Blinken stated throughout a go to to Moldova on Sunday that Washington was “actively” a cope with Poland to supply Ukraine with the MiG-29s.
However after Poland introduced its supply, US Undersecretary of State for Political Affairs Victoria Nuland informed US lawmakers that Washington had been caught off guard.
Requested by a senator whether or not US officers coordinated forward of time with Warsaw, Nuland stated: “To not my information.”
Whereas a number of lawmakers pressed for the jets to be rushed to Ukraine, Nuland refused to commit Washington to supporting or facilitating the alternate.
“I’ll proceed to convey the very robust bipartisan view of this committee that these planes have to get to Ukraine,” she informed the panel.
“There are a selection of things to contemplate right here and there are some blended views amongst allies and even throughout the administration.”
Whereas a major a part of Ukraine’s air pressure stays intact for the reason that struggle started on February 24, each Ukraine and Russia have sustained important losses and neither controls the airspace over the nation.
Warsaw caught US officers off guard with the supply to ship the Soviet-era planes to the US base in Ramstein, Germany.
Below the proposed scheme, these jets may then be deployed to Ukraine, whereas the Polish air pressure would obtain F-16 fighters as replacements.
Pentagon spokesman John Kirby stated the prospect of the jets, positioned on the disposal of the USA, flying from a US-NATO base “into airspace that’s contested with Russia over Ukraine raises critical issues for the whole NATO alliance.”
“We are going to proceed to seek the advice of with Poland and our different NATO allies about this difficulty and the troublesome logistical challenges it presents, however we don’t consider Poland’s proposal is a tenable one,” Kirby stated in a press release.
“It’s merely not clear to us that there’s a substantive rationale for it,” he added.
Kirby additionally careworn that Washington’s stance was that “the choice about whether or not to switch Polish-owned planes to Ukraine is finally one for the Polish authorities.”
Ukraine has stepped up requires Western allies to provide it with navy jets within the face of the Russian invasion, however offering Kyiv with struggle planes poses critical dangers — with NATO members unwilling to be deemed co-combatants by Moscow.
Ukraine’s air pressure fleet consists of growing older Soviet-era MiG-29 and Sukhoi-27 jets, and heavier Sukhoi-25 jets — and these are the one planes Ukrainian pilots may fly instantly with out further coaching.
US Secretary of State Antony Blinken stated throughout a go to to Moldova on Sunday that Washington was “actively” a cope with Poland to supply Ukraine with the MiG-29s.
However after Poland introduced its supply, US Undersecretary of State for Political Affairs Victoria Nuland informed US lawmakers that Washington had been caught off guard.
Requested by a senator whether or not US officers coordinated forward of time with Warsaw, Nuland stated: “To not my information.”
Whereas a number of lawmakers pressed for the jets to be rushed to Ukraine, Nuland refused to commit Washington to supporting or facilitating the alternate.
“I’ll proceed to convey the very robust bipartisan view of this committee that these planes have to get to Ukraine,” she informed the panel.
“There are a selection of things to contemplate right here and there are some blended views amongst allies and even throughout the administration.”
Whereas a major a part of Ukraine’s air pressure stays intact for the reason that struggle started on February 24, each Ukraine and Russia have sustained important losses and neither controls the airspace over the nation.
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