Andrzej Duda noted that Warsaw is waiting for planes from the USA and South Korea.
Polish President Andrzej Duda explained why Warsaw cannot hand over F16 fighter jets to Kyiv on its own. He emphasized that the Polish army does not have enough planes to protect the airspace.
According to him, Poland has Soviet planes that were bought from the USSR or Germany when the GDR army ceased to exist, and the equipment could be put into service. It is about the MiG-29. In addition, Warsaw has F16s bought from the US to modernize the Polish Air Force.
“There are only 48 of these planes, so there are not so many of them. Take into account that there are 100 planes on one American aircraft carrier. That is, the potential of our country is not much,” Duda said in an interview with 1+1 journalist Nataliya Moseichuk on the air of the national telethon.
At the same time, the politician reported that Poland has already ordered two F3 squadrons from the US, and is also buying fighter jets from South Korea. The planes should be handed over to Warsaw at the end of the year.
“But this is the future, and today the facts are that we do not have enough F16s, which protect our airspace perfectly. Therefore, giving up any of these aircraft is a very serious decision, given that they require serious and expensive maintenance. That is why we we do not rule out that this will require broader actions on the part of NATO,” the Polish president concluded.
Fighter jets for Ukraine – what is known
After solving the issue of supplying tanks to Ukraine, the issue of the transfer of fighter jets to the Armed Forces of Ukraine again appeared on the agenda. At the moment, discussions in Europe and the USA continue.
Polish President Andrzej Duda said that the supply of fighter jets is “a very serious decision.” The politician added that the transfer of the F-16 would create a problem for the Polish Air Force.
In addition, Sweden and Belgium refused to hand over their planes to Ukraine. In turn, the head of the German Foreign Ministry said that the supply of fighter jets to Ukraine will be considered in 3-4 months.
