Zelensky on MiG-29 from Poland: Ukraine Awaits a Decision.

According to ТСН: Ukraine is awaiting a decision from Poland regarding the provision of MiG-29 fighters.

This was stated by President Volodymyr Zelensky during a meeting with Polish leader Nawrocki.

Pilot Training

Zelensky noted that training a pilot for the F-16 could take from 8 months to one and a half years, during which the pilot 'falls out' of the country's defense capabilities.

“The difference between all F-16s and MiG-29s for us is only in not losing our pilot, because there is no need to train on MiG-29s, as our people are already trained. This was the issue. The problem is not in the shortage of planes, the problem is in the shortage of pilots,” Zelensky said.

Calls from Poland

Zelensky also reported that Poland offered to shoot down Russian missiles heading towards it, if this decision was supported by the North Atlantic Alliance.

However, NATO refused to support this initiative, which led Ukraine to appeal to Poland for the provision of MiG-29 planes for an independent fight against Russian missiles. This request was rejected by Warsaw.

Definition of the Lithuanian-Polish Mission

According to Zelensky, he agreed with NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg to create a so-called police mission in Poland.

Sikorsky's Comments

Polish Foreign Minister Radek Sikorsky called for 'understanding' regarding President Zelensky's criticism of Warsaw's refusal to transfer MiG-29 planes to Kyiv.

“It was a more spontaneous statement about how the war is going and about Ukraine's relations with many countries. Not that the president specifically attacked Poland, but Ukraine is in a difficult situation and has also made mistakes,” Polish Radio quotes him as saying.

Sikorsky also emphasized that Poland has 'its own defense needs, and the government must primarily keep this war as far away from Poland's borders as possible.'

In light of these events, it becomes clear that Ukraine needs to seek new ways to strengthen its defense capabilities. Dialogues with Poland and NATO, as well as internal decisions, remain important elements in the ongoing conflict. The situation highlights the complexity of international support and the need to adapt to new challenges.