Poland says Ukraine is 'not interested' in its MiG-29 fighter jets
Photo: Poland explains why it has still not transferred MiG-29 fighter jets to Ukraine (Getty Images)
The Polish Ministry of Defense explained why Warsaw has not yet transferred MiG-29 fighter jets to Ukraine and blamed the country’s new president, Karol Nawrocki, for the deterioration of bilateral relations, according to an interview with Polish Deputy Defense Minister Paweł Zalewski for the Polish radio station RMF24.
In an interview with RMF24 radio, Zalewski commented on several issues in Polish-Ukrainian relations — from the delayed transfer of MiG-29 fighter jets to the rhetoric of Polish President Karol Nawrocki.
MiG-29: Two reasons for the delay
Journalist Tomasz Terlikowski asked why Poland has still not transferred the fighter jets to Ukraine. According to Zalewski, the Ukrainian side is not interested in the MiGs in their current condition.
"I am convinced that Ukrainians would like these MiGs to be adapted to more modern combat conditions. And on our side, there is no agreement on covering the costs," the deputy minister explained.
The second reason, he said, is that the transfer was supposed to be reciprocal. At the same time, the two sides are discussing cooperation in drone technology, and those talks are still ongoing.
"This is more an issue for the industry than for the Ministry of Defense. I would not look for any serious problems here," he emphasized.
Why Kyiv does not see Warsaw as an ally
According to Zalewski, the reason lies in the position of President Karol Nawrocki.
"President Nawrocki believes that fueling anti-Ukrainian sentiment is a good way to win voters. This is very harmful for Poland," the deputy minister said.
Polish security line is not the Poland–Ukraine border
Zalewski also responded to a statement by Law and Justice politician Przemysław Czarnek, who proposed suspending financial and military aid to Ukraine if Kyiv does not change the name of one of its military units.
"So how does he see Ukraine’s further defense? How does he see the protection of our interests, which are currently being defended on the Russian-Ukrainian front? The Polish security line is not the border between Poland and Ukraine. It is the Russian-Ukrainian front," the deputy minister emphasized.
It became known the previous day that Poland had suspended the transfer of MiG-29 fighter jets to Ukraine.
Earlier, in December 2025, Karol Nawrocki learned from the media about the possible transfer of Polish aircraft and publicly stated that the government’s decision had not been coordinated with him.
