Ukraine resumes talks with Poland over MiG-29 jets-for-drones deal
Photo: MiG-29 (facebook.com/UkrainianLandForces)
Ukraine has confirmed its readiness to continue talks with Poland on transferring MiG-29 fighter jets as part of the "jets-for-drones" initiative. Warsaw said it had received a letter from Kyiv and was awaiting specific proposals, according to Wirtualna Polska.
Ukraine returns to negotiations
Ukraine sent Poland a letter confirming its readiness to continue discussions on transferring MiG-29 fighter jets in exchange for cooperation in drone technologies, according to Polish Defense Minister Władysław Kosiniak-Kamysz.
After previous disagreements, Kyiv has once again expressed interest in implementing the initiative. However, the Polish side expects to receive more detailed proposals.
Warsaw’s position
The minister said the initiative remains under negotiation and is now being discussed more actively than it was a month ago.
"We are waiting for what interests me the most — namely the option of MiGs for drones. After these tough statements from our side, a letter came from the Ukrainian side saying they were still interested. We said: give us specifics. They are emerging," Kosiniak-Kamysz said.
He added that some cooperation in training specialists has already begun. However, the direct exchange of fighter jets for drones has not yet taken place, and no final agreement has been reached between the two countries.
Not only Ukraine
The Polish defense minister also said that Ukraine is not the only country interested in Poland’s MiG-29 jets.
According to him, Bulgaria is also interested in purchasing the jets. The minister believes that having another potential buyer could affect Poland’s negotiating position.
What happened before
The issue of transferring Polish MiG-29s to Ukraine returned to the spotlight after disagreements emerged between Kyiv and Warsaw in early July over the "MiG-29s in exchange for drones" initiative.
At the time, Poland’s defense minister said Ukraine had failed to fulfill agreements on cooperation in unmanned systems technology.
Now, according to Kosiniak-Kamysz, Ukraine has again confirmed its interest in the deal and sent a corresponding letter, leading to the resumption of talks.
Earlier, Poland said it had not ruled out transferring MiG-29 fighter jets to Ukraine but warned that if negotiations dragged on, the aircraft could be offered to another country. Warsaw emphasized that Kyiv is not the only party interested in the jets, meaning the final decision will depend on the outcome of further talks.
