Zelenskyy: Poland has not handed over MiGs, which were previously agreed upon
Zelenskyy also criticizes NATO allies' hesitation in missile interception, calling it a "war of double standards."
In a recent meeting with community and district leaders from Zakarpattia, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy revealed that Poland failed to transfer MiG fighter jets to Ukraine despite prior agreements.
This follows Polish President Andjey Duda’s statements that Polish reserves have been largely depleted. A responsible politician simply cannot transfer new weapons,” Duda explained, suggesting that Poland has reached the limits of what it can provide without compromising its security needs.
Poland was among the first and most generous supporters of Ukraine following Russia’s full-scale invasion in 2022, providing rapid military assistance from its own stockpiles.
“We wanted to receive MiGs from Poland, but they could not transfer them because they didn’t have enough of their own,” Zelesnkyy said.
He explained that a preliminary agreement with NATO involved providing Poland with a police mission similar to arrangements with Baltic countries lacking aircraft.
“We agreed, but did Poland subsequently transfer aircraft to us? No. Did another reason emerge? Yes,” Zelenskyy said.
The president highlighted the strategic importance of these aircraft for defending western Ukrainian regions, particularly Stryi, which hosts a critical gas storage facility.
“We constantly asked them to shoot down missiles heading towards Poland. Stryi is there, a gas storage facility. The country’s gas supply, our life, especially in winter, depends on this,” Zelenskyy said.
He criticized the current approach to intercepting threats, saying that Poland indicated they would only shoot down missiles if not acting alone and with NATO support.
Zelenskyy characterized the ongoing conflict as “a war of double standards and paradoxes,” pointing out the contrast between allied forces quickly intercepting Iranian missiles over Israel while hesitating to target Russian missiles and drones approaching Alliance member countries.
Zelenskyy had mentioned that a security agreement signed in Warsaw was supposed to develop a mechanism for Poland to intercept Russian missiles and drones in Ukrainian airspace heading towards Poland.
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