Slovakia's president calls MiG-29 transfer to Ukraine a mistake
Photo: Slovak President Peter Pellegrini (Getty Images)
The decision to transfer MiG-29 fighter jets to Ukraine was a mistake because Slovakia did not have a full replacement at the time, Slovak President Peter Pellegrini stated.
Pellegrini noted that while serving as prime minister, he had instructed officials to maintain the combat readiness of Slovakia’s MiG-29s until they could be replaced by new US-made F-16 fighter jets.
“I still consider it a mistake that Slovakia got rid of its MiGs at a time when it had no replacement for them. No other country acted in such a way that, after transferring its own weapons, it became entirely dependent on the help of its neighbors,” he said.
He also rejected claims by the former governing coalition that the transferred aircraft were unfit for use. Pellegrini stressed that the fighters were capable of performing combat missions and said he had personally flown a MiG-29.
“If that were the case, none of them would have been able to fly from Slovakia to Ukraine. When I was prime minister, I had the opportunity to personally test a MiG-29 in flight, and the aircraft was capable of carrying out all its tasks,” the Slovak president said.
At the same time, Pellegrini stated that he does not intend to intervene in political or criminal debates surrounding the transfer of the jets. He added that Slovak citizens have the right to know whether the government at the time had the legal authority to decide on transferring the fighters to Ukraine.
Investigation into aid to Ukraine
After coming to power in 2023, the Slovak government, led by Robert Fico, announced the suspension of military aid to Ukraine and its intention to improve relations with Russia.
The new government later accused its predecessors of possible violations related to assistance to Ukraine and launched audits of various donations. In November, an investigation was opened after discrepancies were found in the relevant data.
Fico also called on law enforcement to review the previous government’s decision to transfer MiG-29 fighter jets and air defense systems to Ukraine.
However, in November 2025, the criminal investigation into the transfer of MiG-29s to Ukraine was closed. Investigators found no evidence of a crime and concluded that the state had suffered no losses.
