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The Polish authorities on Tuesday got here out with a plan to switch its Russian-made fighter planes to a U.S. army base in Germany, with the expectation that the planes would then be handed over to Ukrainian pilots attempting to fend off Russian forces. In flip, the U.S. would provide Poland with U.S.-made jets with “corresponding capabilities.”
However the Poles did not run that concept previous the Biden administration earlier than going public with it, and the Pentagon shortly dismissed the concept as “not tenable.” It was a uncommon second of disharmony in what has been a largely united effort by NATO allies to help Ukraine with out getting embroiled in a wider conflict with Russia.
And it meant Harris was flying into fractious terrain Wednesday as she opens a two-day go to to Poland and Romania and tries to patch issues up.
“This fighter jet scenario is a messy deal, and Harris should go there and clean issues out,” mentioned Daniel Fried, who served as U.S. ambassador Poland for President Invoice Clinton and was a senior adviser within the George W. Bush and Obama administrations. “There’s loads of dialogue on the way in which forward that must be had with the Poles that’s higher to have in an in-person dialog.”
Biden has applauded Poland and different japanese European nations for stepping up within the midst of what is turn out to be an unlimited humanitarian disaster that’s solely rising. Some 2 million individuals have fled Ukraine and greater than half of the refugees have arrived in Poland.
Biden on Tuesday mentioned he was dedicated to serving to Ukraine’s neighbors bear a few of the monetary ache of aiding refugees. He beforehand deployed 4,700 extra U.S. troops to Poland to bolster the protection of the japanese flank NATO ally.
“I’ve made it clear that the US will share within the accountability of caring for the refugees so the prices don’t fall fully on the European nations bordering Ukraine,” mentioned Biden. He’s seeking to Congress to go a USD 14 billion assist package deal to help Ukraine and its japanese European allies.
Hours after Biden spoke, Poland blindsided the White Home with its proposal.
Victoria Nuland, undersecretary of state for political affairs, informed the Senate International Relations Committee that she noticed the Polish authorities’s announcement as she was driving to Capitol Hill to testify.
Sen. Chris Murphy, D-Conn. referred to as it “curious” for Poland to announce its plan “with out alerting us first.”
Secretary of State Antony Blinken did say on Sunday that the U.S. was working with Poland on plans to produce Ukraine with fighter jets, and to “backfill” Poland’s wants. The Polish authorities, nevertheless, made clear that it might not ship its fighter jets on to Ukraine or permit its airports for use.
And Poland’s concept of transferring its MiGs to the U.S. didn’t come up throughout the talks with Blinken, in response to a U.S. official acquainted with the talks.
The official, who spoke on the situation of anonymity to debate the fragile matter, mentioned White Home officers didn’t assume the proposal would simply resolve logistical challenges of offering plane to Ukraine and questioned the logic of transferring the planes to a significant NATO base in Germany solely to maneuver them again to japanese Europe.
Ukraine President Volodymyr Zelenskyy has been pleading for NATO to impose a no-fly zone over Ukraine or present Ukraine with fighter jets. NATO has nixed the no-fly zone concept, saying such a transfer would result in the largest battle in Europe since World Struggle II and unfold additional.
Rep. Michael McCaul of Texas, the highest Republican on the Home International Affairs Committee, mentioned late Tuesday he hoped the administration might work out a greater settlement with Poland. “I hope they’ll return to Poland, renegotiate this and provides them assurances that we’ll ship” fighter jets, he mentioned.
McCaul additionally mentioned that extra deadly drones might be another choice to assist present air energy to the Ukrainians.
Regardless of the disconnect over Poland’s proposal, the White Home remained intent on dispatching Harris to Poland and Romania, because it seems to highlight efforts to construct a unified entrance with European neighbors and Western allies.
Harris traveled to the Munich Safety Convention final month to rally European allies within the days forward of the invasion. She additionally met with Zelenskyy and different European officers.
“The vp’s journey to Poland and to Europe is a part of our effort to point out our robust help for our NATO allies and companions, the safety help they have been offering, their position in accepting and welcoming refugees from Ukraine,” White Home press secretary Jen Psaki mentioned.
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