Polish President Karol Nawrocki hinted on Friday that he is not against the proposed deal to give Ukraine MiG-29 warplanes in exchange for Ukraine’s drone know-how.
Nawrocki said the proposal “does not contradict our policy” at a press conference alongside President Volodymyr Zelensky – the two’s first in-person meeting since Nawrocki’s August election victory.
Reflecting his electoral base and past calls for greater Ukrainian gratitude for Polish support, Nawrocki also called for a “symmetrical partnership” with Kyiv.
“I want to remind you that my scope of responsibilities is to take care of the interests of Polish soldiers, especially those from Malbork, who are wondering what will happen to the MiGs,” he said, as reported by Ukrainian state media Ukrinform.
“Instead, in this dependence in which we find ourselves – and this meeting is proof of this – we are looking for a strategic, symmetrical partnership.”
Nawrocki, without explicitly greenlighting the deal, said he “[thinks] this issue will be resolved.”
“This exchange of MiGs for anti-drone systems does not contradict our policy. So, after resolving the formal issues, I think this issue will be resolved,” he added.
MiG-29 for Ukraine’s drone know-how
In early December, Poland’s military command says it was considering donating its remaining MiG-29 fighter aircraft to Ukraine as part of a potential technology swap that would give Warsaw access to Ukrainian drone and missile innovations.
The deal would involve six to eight retired Polish MiG-29s Warsaw inherited from its communist past.
Ukraine currently operates around 40 MiG-29s, according to the Polish state news agency PAP. Since Russia launched its full-scale invasion in 2022, Kyiv has already received 14 MiG-29s from Poland and 13 from Slovakia.
Obtaining the MiG-29s would allow Ukraine to bolster its air fleet in the short term, as Ukrainian pilots are already familiar with the airplane.
Poland plans to rely on US-made F-16s and South Korean FA-50s to fill the gap in its air fleet if the MiG-29s are transferred.
As for Ukraine’s post-war air fleet, Zelensky has hinted at plans to modernize it with NATO aircraft, with ongoing talks with Sweden and France over the potential procurement of hundreds of Gripen and Rafale fighters over the next decade.