Poland's President Duda suggests giving MiG-29s to Ukraine

Poland is ready to hand over its Soviet-made MiG-29 fighter jets to Ukraine as part of an international coalition, according to President Andrzej Duda.
"We are ready to deliver these aircraft and I am sure Ukraine would be ready to use them immediately," Duda told US broadcaster CNN, as reported by Polish news agency PAP on Wednesday.
For the future, it would be important to train more Ukrainian pilots on US F-16 fighter jets, Duda said during his visit to Abu Dhabi in the Gulf.
The discussion about the Polish MiG-29s already arose last year shortly after the full-scale Russian invasion of Ukraine. According to Polish military experts, the country still has about 30 aircraft of this type in service on NATO's eastern flank. Many of them come from old East German stocks.
Duda, however, did not give any details about the international coalition he was seeking. Polish Prime Minister Mateusz Morawiecki had mentioned a NATO decision as a prerequisite at the Munich Security Conference in February.
US Defence Secretary Lloyd Austin said his country would not discourage others from supplying fighter jets.
Since an international alliance with German participation agreed to supply Ukraine with heavy battle tanks, Kiev has also been asking emphatically for military aircraft. Like Poland, Slovakia is ready to give up its MiG-29s in agreement with European partners.