Slovakia is set to donate 13 Soviet-era MiG-29 warplanes to Ukraine, becoming the second NATO member to announce such a shipment in the last 24 hours, following Poland’s similar move.
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slezo, CC BY 2.0, via Wikimedia Commons
Slovakia’s Prime Minister Eduard Heger announced the decision at a news conference on Friday, noting that his government was “on the right side of history.” Meanwhile, Poland’s President Andrzej Duda did not specify the total number of MiGs it plans to send, but confirmed that four jets will arrive in Ukraine in the coming days.
Britain has offered to provide air cover for any eastern European allies willing to send jets to Ukraine, but western countries have been reluctant to provide Ukraine with equipment capable of reaching inside Russia, citing the need for extensive pilot training and supply chain establishment. Allies will step up to monitor Slovakia’s airspace in the absence of its own aircraft.
Slovakia will receive €200m (£175m) in compensation from the EU and €700m in unspecified arms from the US, according to Jaroslav Naď, the defense minister. While the donation of MiGs is a welcomed gesture, Ukraine’s request for modern fighter jets may be better suited to meet its needs in the current conflict.
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