Why is the US so wary about Poland’s fighter jets being sent to Ukraine?

It seems strange when huge quantities of other military materials and ‘lethal aid’ are being delivered, argues Sean O'Grady

Two Russian-made MiG-29s fly above and below two US-made F-16 fighter jets during a Polish air show (AP)

Everyone knows what Volodymyr Zelensky would like and, famously, it isn’t a ride to a place of safety in the west. He wants no-fly zones, humanitarian corridors, and as much defence equipment as Nato and friendly neutral countries such as Finland can send his way. Faced with what seems to be an extraordinarily slow and amateurish Russian force, it is tempting, and not that crazy, to think that Ukraine could actually win this war.

Most immediately, Ukraine would like some more fighter jets, to make sure the Russians don’t gain absolute superiority in the air. Poland answered the call with an ingenious proposal: they would donate their stock of old Russian-manufactured MiG fighters to Ukraine, whose pilots are trained to use them, but they would do so via US air force facilities in Germany, with Ukrainian pilots flying into the war zone. Presumably this is because the Russians would be less likely to retaliate against the Americans than against Poland. The scheme could have been extended to the Romanian air force, and those of other ex-Warsaw Pact nations with MiG aircraft.

There were a few problems, though. First, the Poles seem not to have consulted the US – at least according to the US – which didn’t endear them to their senior Nato partner. The move was especially ill-timed, as vice-president Kamala Harris is about to fly to Warsaw for talks.