Pentagon Claims Polish Proposal To Transfer Jets To US To Give To Ukraine Isn't 'Tenable'

The Pentagon has dismissed Poland's proposal to transfer all of their MiG-29 fighter jets to the US in support of Ukraine.

Yesterday evening, March 8, Pentagon press secretary John Kirby said that the proposed transfer was not thought to be 'tenable'.

The news comes after the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the Republic of Poland released a statement earlier that day saying that the country was ready to deploy the fighter jets.

Ukrainian military pilots are more equipped to fly the Soviet-era MiG-29 aircrafts than US fighter jets.

Kirby said of the potential transfer, 'It is simply not clear to us that there is a substantive rationale for it,' as per CNN.

'We will continue to consult with Poland and our other NATO allies about this issue and the difficult logistical challenges it presents, but we do not believe Poland's proposal is a tenable one.'

According to Kirby, the proposal to transfer the fighter jets is ultimately up to the Polish government. However, the idea had raised concerns as Russia has previously made threatening statements about arms being provided to Ukraine.

A US official said that neither the Pentagon or State Department were consulted before Poland made the announcement yesterday, which said it is 'ready to deploy – immediately and free of charge – all their MIG-29 jets' and to put them at the disposal of the US government.

The official noted, 'The US position was in support of Poland sending the jets directly to Ukraine, not for the US to act as an intermediary,' as per Sky News.

US Vice President Kamala Harris is due to arrive in Warsaw on Wednesday and is expected to discuss the fighter jet issue.

The White House was said to have been in talks about a plan for Poland to supply the fighter jets to Ukraine, as per CNN.

However, both the US and NATO want to avoid an outright conflict with Russia.

Meanwhile, Polish Prime Minister Mateusz Morawiecki has said that the country is 'not ready to make any moves on our own', with regards to the ongoing war.

'Any decision of delivering offensive weapons has to be taken by the entire NATO on a unanimous basis,' he concluded.

The discussions surrounding Poland's fighter jets come as Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy made a 'desperate plea' to the US Congress for more military aid.

If you would like to donate to the Red Cross Emergency Appeal, which will help provide food, medicines and basic medical supplies, shelter and water to those in Ukraine, click here for more information