Polish minister denies Poland has sent fighters to Ukraine

Poland has not sent any fighter aircraft to Ukraine, a deputy interior minister has said, adding that a decision on this type of aid should be taken at the Nato level.

Ukraine's Air Force Command announced on Facebook on March 1 that it was receiving 70 MiG-29s and Su-25s from foreign partners. According to the post, Poland would send to Ukraine 28 MiG-29s, Bulgaria 16 MiG-29s and 14 Su-25s, and Slovakia - 12 MiG-29s.

Asked by a public radio station on Monday if Poland has provided Ukraine with combat aircraft, Maciej Wasik, a deputy interior minister, said: "A decision on this type of aid should be taken at the Nato level and it should be uniform for all Nato countries.

"It should not be the case that one or another country is helping on its own," he said.

Wasik added that "the Polish position has not changed."

"We have not sent any fighter planes to Ukraine," he said. (PAP)

Later on Monday, Piotr Mueller, the government spokesperson, told a public television broadcaster that many countries within Nato had reservations about transferring combat aircraft to Ukraine. 

"The issue of sending fighters to Ukraine is part of a discussion that is taking place within the North Atlantic Alliance, the discussion is not unanimous, many states have raised objections to this type of action," Mueller said.

He added that for now there is no indication that a decision on a handover to Ukraine will be made.

Mueller said that such a decision "poses certain risks."

"It is a very delicate matter. The Polish authorities have not made any decisions on the transfer of the planes to Ukraine. It is not true that the airplanes are taking off from Poland for combat missions over the territory of Ukraine," he said. 

US Secretary of State Antony Blinken said on Sunday that the United States was considering sending planes to Poland if Warsaw decided to supply combat aircraft to Ukraine. Polish officials say that no decision has been taken on this matter, and that such decisions should be made within Nato.