WASHINGTON — The Polish government’s decision to transfer fighter jets to the U.S. in the hopes of getting them into the hands of Ukrainian pilots has complicated a visit by Vice President Kamala Harris just hours before she was set to depart for Warsaw.
American officials were caught off guard when the Polish government announced on Tuesday that it would send about two dozen Soviet-era MiG-29 fighter planes to the U.S. air base at Ramstein, Germany. Polish officials apparently had hoped the U.S. would then deliver the planes to Ukraine, whose pilots are trained on the aircraft and are desperately trying to fend off a Russian invasion.
But Russia has warned that sending the aircraft to Ukraine would be seen as an act of war, potentially broadening the conflict in Ukraine. American officials said they were not consulted about Poland’s abrupt decision and would not sign on to the plan. Polish officials were counting on receiving new U.S. fighter jets to replace those they put at Ukraine’s disposal.
