In addition to Poland’s refusal, the Slovakian government confirmed to Defense News on Tuesday it will not send fighters for Ukrainian pilots to use. Politico reported that Bulgarian officials have also ruled out the idea.
If such a transfer does eventually come to fruition, it could help replace Ukrainian planes lost in combat and offer more airframes for pilots on the ground to join the fight.
“The Ukraine Army has come a long way, but the Ukraine Air Force and the Ukraine Navy have not,” said Philip Breedlove, a retired four-star Air Force general who served as the service’s vice chief of staff, head of U.S. European Command and NATO’s supreme allied commander. He now works as a Europe expert with the Middle East Institute.
“They went into this needing help,” he said. “They’ve lost airplanes now, and they need more help.”