Poland could donate six to eight MiG-29 fighter jets to Ukraine from among the 14 currently in service with the Polish Air Force, Deputy Minister of National Defense Cezary Tomczyk said on 14 December, RMF24 reports.
The aircraft in question are reaching the end of their operational lifespan by the end of December 2025, after which they can no longer be safely and effectively operated, Tomczyk explained.
"These machines are leaving the Polish army at the end of December. They can end up in a museum, be sold or scrapped, or they can go to Ukraine and help destroy our enemies. In my opinion, the situation seems quite obvious, but the decision has not yet been made," Tomczyk said.
The deputy minister emphasized that since the service life of these aircraft cannot be extended, their transfer to Ukraine would not result in any loss of combat capability for the Polish military. He added that Poland could negotiate technology transfers from Ukraine in exchange, particularly drone technologies developed by Ukrainians during the Russian invasion.
Tomczyk indicated the issue will likely be discussed during the meeting between the presidents of Poland and Ukraine on 19 December. "We need to close this issue. Since the MiGs are becoming obsolete, we should continue to make good use of them," he stressed.
The matter has been under negotiation for several days. On 10 December, the Polish Armed Forces General Staff announced ongoing talks with Ukraine about transferring MiG-29s that have reached their target service life. Poland's President Karol Nawrocki, however, stated he was not informed about the potential transfer of Polish MiG-29s to Ukraine.
On 12 December, Ukraine's ambassador to Poland shared details of the negotiations, noting that the arrangement would be an exchange rather than a simple donation.
Defense Minister Władysław Kosiniak-Kamysz previously indicated that Ukrainian drone technologies could come to Poland in return for the aircraft transfer.
The deputy defense minister also addressed the re-publication of a report by the National Security Bureau concerning Russian influence in Poland between 2007-2022. The report, prepared by a team led by current BBN chief Sławomir Cenckiewicz and originally published in November 2023, included recommendations against entrusting Prime Minister Donald Tusk and several politicians from his circle with important public functions for 10 years.
Tomczyk called it a "private vendetta" and accused Cenckiewicz of focusing on propaganda rather than substantive work. "Every time someone responsible for security—whether the government or the president—does something like this, it's not only a foul but an act to the detriment of the state," Tomczyk said.
He described the entire commission as politically motivated rather than fact-based. "We know that this whole intrigue and commission was invented only to prevent Donald Tusk from winning the election. But Donald Tusk won the election and is now Prime Minister, and this type of BBN activity is simply sabotaging one's own state, it's just political sabotage," the deputy minister said.
Meanwhile, ahead of the 19 December meeting, President Nawrocki said Ukraine should involve Poland more in peace negotiations, telling Wirtualna Polska that his proposal for a Ukraine-Poland-US-Russia format "remains my dream now." He added that Zelenskyy "views Poland as a stable, obvious value that does not require any special moves."
