Slovakia may consider donating its fleet of Soviet-era MiG warplanes to Ukraine, the Slovak defense minister said Monday, July 25, 2022.
Together with his British counterpart Ben Wallace, Slovak Defense Minister Jaroslav Nad said the country would get 11 MiG-29 fighter jets after they’re grounded probably by the end of August 2022.
Slovakia has already negotiated with NATO allies, the Czech Republic, and Poland to monitor Slovak air space from the beginning of September.
Wallace said Britain isn’t now considering giving Ukraine warplanes but would offer Slovakia fighter jets to help guard its airspace.
However, the U.S. and its allies have been reluctant to give Ukraine the fighter jets That the country had asked for. The U.S fears it would provoke an escalatory response from Moscow, which has warned NATO that supplying Ukraine with combat aircraft could be tantamount to joining the conflict.
Nad said providing warplanes to Ukraine would require a broader discussion with allies about the consequences of such delivery.
Slovakia has supplied Ukraine with heavy weapons since the war started. Its donations include a Soviet-era S-300 air defense system, military helicopters, and thousands of Grad multiple-rocket launcher rockets. Slovakia also sold Ukraine self-propelled howitzers.
