Russian soldier during the siege of the city of Mariupol. – MAXIMILIAN CLARKE / ZUMA PRESS / CONTACTOPHOTO
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Poland and Slovakia reach agreement to supply MiG-29 fighter jets to Ukrainian forces
Zelensky appreciates the reception of Ukrainians in “warm” Poland
MADRID, 29 (EUROPE PRESS)
Poland has delivered more than 200 more Soviet-made T-72 tanks to the Ukrainian Armed Forces, as well as several 2S1 Carnation self-propelled howitzers, adding to the more than 1.5 billion euros in military aid that Warsaw has already delivered since the start of the Russian invasion two months ago.
Most of the tanks have already crossed the border, the Polish news agency IAR reported, citing government sources. Poland has also supplied other military equipment, such as Grad rocket launcher drones and Piorun man-portable air defense systems.
At the same time, the Polish and Slovak defense ministers, Mariusz Blaszczak and Jaroslav Nad, respectively, have reached an agreement this Friday in Bratislava, capital of Slovakia, to supply Soviet-era fighter jets of the Slovak Air Force to Ukraine.
“We are fully aware of who the aggressor is and that we must help Ukraine, which is fighting for the future of all of Europe,” emphasized Nad, who explained that Poland will secure Slovakian airspace with its American F-16s once the MiG-29 set course for Ukraine and the new fighters promised by Washington arrive in Slovakia.
This decision contradicts the initial position of the Government of Slovakia, which at one point announced that it would not be able to meet the weapons demands that came from kyiv, not only in the case of these Soviet fighters, but also an S-300 air defense system, inherited from the USSR, which despite assuring that it was essential for, shortly after its shipment to Ukraine was announced.
On the other hand, in a conversation with journalists from various Polish media in kyiv, the Ukrainian president, Volodimir Zelensky, thanked “Poland and the Polish people for the unprecedented support” they have given Ukraine.
“Poles are doing everything possible to make Ukrainians feel at home in Poland. I would like to thank Poland and the Polish people for their unprecedented help,” Zelenskiy acknowledged, reports TVN24.
Although Zelensky has pointed out that they will only “feel at home” once they manage to return to it, he has highlighted the “efforts” of the Polish people to make the Ukrainian refugees there not feel like such, also highlighting the daily support that the president, Andrzej Duda, has transmitted to him.
“The tragedy is that they had to leave their homes, but I am very happy that they have come to Poland because life, fate, war can throw a man anywhere and Poland is a warm and friendly country,” he said. .
