Slovakia joins Poland in offering Ukraine warplanes to fight Russia
Los Angeles TimesMar 17, 2023
After Poland became the first NATO country to commit to providing Ukraine with long-sought-after fighter jets on Thursday, fellow NATO member Slovakia followed suit on Friday, with Prime Minister Eduard Heger announcing the move. According to reporting from Reuters, Slovakia will send its fleet of 11 MiG-29 planes, which were retired last summer. Only the jets in an appropriate condition (reportedly a minority) will be used for operations, and the remainder will go to Ukraine to provide spare parts. Heger also pledged to provide part of Slovakia's KUB air-defence system.
In a press briefing on Friday, Kremlin spokesman Dmitri Peskov said the fighter jets would not change the course of Russia's "special military operation," stating that they would be destroyed. Meanwhile, Russia's defense ministry said it would bestow state honors on the pilots who intercepted the US surveillance drone that crashed into the Black Sea earlier in the week.
Ukraine has repeatedly asked Western countries to provide them with fighter jets to help them overcome Russia's invasion. Slovakia's decision is a welcome move and more countries should follow their example in solidarity against Russian aggression.
Poland and Slovakia's move shows their eagerness to rid themselves of outdated equipment, rather than an especially strong commitment to Kiev's forces. These fighter jets will do nothing to change the course of the war and will soon be destroyed by Russia.
There is a 1% chance that Ukraine will join NATO before 2024, according to the Metaculus prediction community.