Poland and Ukraine appear to be clearing the way to resume negotiations on the transfer of Soviet-era MiG-29 fighter jets. This comes just weeks after a public dispute over the co-production of drones. The MiG-29s in question are being phased out of Poland’s Air Force as more modern platforms enter service, and they would provide a much-needed boost for Ukraine’s Air Force.
The development was signalled by Poland’s Minister of National Defence, Władysław Kosiniak-Kamysz, who spoke to the press after commemorations marking the 83rd anniversary of the Volhynia massacre.
Renewed negotiations on the MiG-29 transfer
According to local reporting, when asked about transferring MiG-29 fighters, the minister replied: “Without doubt there is much more good news on this than there was a few days ago.”
He later added that it is already known Ukraine has a drone production capacity that exceeds the needs of its Armed Forces, which has enabled sales to Middle Eastern countries following the start of US and Israeli attacks against Iran. For that reason, he suggested there would be no technical obstacles preventing the manufacture of the drones Poland is seeking.
Drones-for-jets reciprocity between Poland and Ukraine
In previous days, Kosiniak-Kamysz had stated that Poland and Ukraine had, in principle, agreed a mutually beneficial exchange: the Ukrainian Air Force would receive the MiG-29s provided that Poland’s Air Force was supplied with new drones, while Polish firms would obtain the designs to enable domestic production. However, Kyiv reportedly did not take the necessary steps to meet its side of the arrangement, leading Warsaw to suspend the transfer.
Now, the outlook appears more positive. Kosiniak-Kamysz said: “Now the Ukrainian side has resumed the talks, and I am open to it, but the principle of reciprocity must be respected, the principle of true solidarity.”
On the possibility of upgrading the aircraft, the Polish defence minister added: “If Ukraine sees the need to upgrade them, we can help as much as possible, but the costs will be the responsibility of the Ukrainian state or of allied countries that wish to cover them.”
Modernisation funding and Poland’s support to Kyiv
This point is particularly significant because, despite having received MiG-29 fighters that once served with Poland’s Air Force, Ukraine wanted any future deliveries to proceed only if the aircraft were modernised beforehand. It was also clear that Warsaw was not willing to fund that work from its own budget. It is worth noting that Poland has already provided more than €4,000 million in military assistance to Kyiv, delivered mainly during the first two years of Russia’s invasion.
Finally, Polish media also report that domestic companies are interested in working with Ukrainian counterparts to establish drone production. One such firm is Polska Grupa Zbrojeniowa, which is said to have signed a letter of intent to partner with TAF Industries, a major player in Ukraine’s defence industry focused on drone manufacturing.
Images used for illustrative purposes
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