Current Affairs

Issue

Poland has offered to provide its MiG-29 fighter jets to a US air base in Germany in a surprising move.

 

Background

The Russian military is using MiG-29 fighter jets to bomb Ukraine. The given up aircrafts could be passed on to Ukrainian Air force.

 

Details

• The move would see a NATO aircraft departing from a US and NATO base to fly into contested airspace, signaling involvement of NATO forces in conflict.

• The NATO officials have rejected the offer and said the move by Poland is untenable in current circumstances.

 

Need for Poland’s jets

• Since the Russian invasion, Ukrainian forces have struggled to hold their ground. The president has requested western countries for weapons and ammunition.

• Ukrainian air force pilots have been trained to handle soviet-made jets and providing their US-made jets would be unviable.

• The MiG-29 offered by Poland are Soviet-made warplanes first emerged during the 1970s. They are currently in use in countries such as Bulgaria and Slovakia other than Poland.

 

Impact on Ukraine

• Providing Ukraine with MiG-29 jets would signal West’s willingness to aid Ukraine in the war. This would involve NATO indirectly.

• However, it would not have wide-ranging impact as they are inferior compared to sophisticated Russian jets currently being employed by Moscow.

• Ukraine is comfortable in using ground to air weapons such as anti-aircraft Stinger and anti-tank Javelin missiles instead of engaging in air combat.

 

Stakes for Poland

• The proposal is a swap offer under which Poland will receive US-made F-16 fighter jets for giving up MiG-29 to Ukraine.

• Poland is also facing Russian threat and it would want to keep its forces ready in case of Russia’s forwards march.

 

Russia’s reaction

• Russia says that aiding Ukrainian forces would be similar to joining the war, and could spur retaliation. 

• It is a valid threat for various NATO and EU signatories but Russia would not want to engage in direct conflict with USA.