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| Following Poland's Footsteps, Slovakia Sends MiG-29 Fighter Jets to Ukraine |
Kiev - Slovakia became the second Ukrainian ally to provide MiG-29 fighter jets which Kiev said were critical to repelling a Russian invasion. Slovakia joined Poland, which announced the delivery of the fighter jets needed by Kiev on Thursday.
Both NATO members are neighbors of Ukraine. Slovakia retired its fleet of 11 MiG-29s last summer and most are not in operational condition.
Slovakia will send those already in operation and the rest for spare parts. Apart from delivering MiG-29 fighter jets, Prime Minister Eduard Heger said, Slovakia will also supply parts of the KUB air defense system.
"Today, the government decided and unanimously agreed to an international agreement (on donations)," Heger said. "This process of handing over the fighter jets is closely coordinated with the Polish side, with Ukraine and, of course, with other allies," he added.
Later Slovakia will receive financial compensation from the European Union. The country has also reached an agreement with the United States (US) on the delivery of military materials worth about USD 700 million, said Heger.
Slovakia had ordered F-16 fighter jets from the US in 2018 to replace its aging MiG-29 aircraft. The first US-made aircraft is expected to arrive in 2024 after delays. Heger's government is governing in a caretaker capacity until early elections set for September, which has left the opposition and even some members of the ruling coalition questioning whether the cabinet is allowed to decide on things like the delivery of MiG fighter jets.
Heger said that legal experts who consulted his government all said the move made legal sense. NATO allies in the former communist east such as Poland and Slovakia have been vocal supporters of Kiev since Russia invaded Ukraine on February 24, 2022.
On Thursday, Poland announced it would deliver Ukraine four MiG-29 fighter jets in the coming days, making it the first Kiev ally to provide such an aircraft. Western countries that have provided Ukraine with weapons have so far refused to send fighter jets.