Poland: There is no “official discussion” regarding the transfer of F-16 fighter jets to Ukraine

The topic of possible transfer of F-16 fighter jets of the Polish Air Force to Ukraine is not the subject of any “official discussion”, Deputy Defense Minister said on Tuesday, a day after the United States refused to deliver these machines. to Kyiv.

“At the moment, there is no official discussion about the transfer of Polish F-16s to Ukraine,” Wojciech Skorkiewicz told AFP. “The topic does not exist.”

Poland has 48 American-made F-16 fighter jets.

The deputy minister’s remarks follow those of Prime Minister Mateusz Morawiecki, who confirmed on Monday that “all our steps are aimed at strengthening Ukraine’s defense forces, and we are coordinating them with our NATO partners.”

As a few months ago, as part of [avions de chasse de conception soviétique, NDLR] MIG, any new Air Force will be created and possibly transferred in consultation with NATO countries. “We will work in full coordination,” he said.

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On Monday, US President Joe Biden flatly rejected the idea of ​​sending these US F-16 fighter jets to Ukraine.

“No,” the US president said when asked by a White House journalist about the possibility of supplying the devices requested by Ukrainian leaders.

On the part of the European bloc, Berlin categorically rejected the idea of ​​​​sending fighter jets, while the French President, Emmanuel Macron, cautiously considered that “by definition, nothing is excluded,” while ensuring that the Ukrainians had not made any such request to him yet.

The French President also spoke with Dutch Prime Minister Mark Rutte, who had already brought up the idea of ​​sending F-16s to Ukraine, stressing that there was no “taboo” on this subject, but that it would be a “big step”.