Kyiv backed out of 'drones for MiGs' deal with Warsaw, minister claims

A planned “MiGs for drones” deal between Poland and Ukraine has collapsed, with Warsaw’s Defence Minister Władysław Kosiniak-Kamysz accusing Kyiv of backing out of a promise to share drone technology in exchange for Polish fighter jets.

According to Kosiniak-Kamysz, Warsaw offered Kyiv a “very fair, partnership-based approach: MiGs in exchange for drones.”

“The Ukrainians initially accepted it but did not follow through, so there are no MiGs for Ukraine because there are no drones or drone capabilities for Poland,” he added.

Polish defence minister admitted that Ukraine possesses both advanced military drone capabilities and extensive operational expertise to share with its partners.

“They’re really very good at it. They agreed to do this, but later withdrew from those arrangements,” Kosiniak-Kamysz said.

Kyiv has not commented on the claims.

MIGs from Poland and Ukraine’s drone deals

Poland previously transferred 14 MiG-29s to Ukraine in 2023, becoming the first country to supply Kyiv with fighter jets after Russia launched its full-scale invasion in 2022.

Poland approved the transfer of nine MiG-29 fighter jets to Ukraine in January.

These are planes that Poland had planned to retire from service, as the country phases out the Soviet-era aircraft in favour of US-designed F-16s and F-35s.

In April, Ukraine announced it was finally opening up its arms exports to global markets, with President Volodymyr Zelenskyy clarifying that this would apply to countries that have supported Ukraine.

Zelenskyy further stated that the exports would take the form of so-called “Drone Deals” — special agreements on both the production and supply of Ukrainian drones, missiles, ammunition and other in-demand types of weaponry, military equipment and software, as well as the “provision of our expertise and the technological exchange needed by Ukraine.

Around the same time, Polish Prime Minister Donald Tusk announced the launch of a new project to build a modern drone fleet with Ukrainian technical expertise.

“Polish drone fleet will be supported by the technical expertise and know-how of our Ukrainian friends,” Tusk said.

It is unclear whether the MiG-29 jets that were phased out were part of any possible deal between Kyiv and Warsaw.

Yet the relations between the neighbouring countries have deteriorated significantly since then.

Diplomatic spat rumbles on

The Polish defence minister did not comment on whether the diplomatic spat between the two countries has affected the”MiGs in exchange for drones” deal.

But he criticised once again Ukraine’s decision to namea military unit in honour of the World War II-era Ukrainian Insurgent Army (UPA).

In Ukraine, the UPA is widely commemorated for its role in resisting Soviet rule and fighting for Ukrainian independence.

In Poland, the group is primarily associated with the Volyn tragedy of 1943–1945, during which tens of thousands of Poles were killed in what is now western Ukraine, then under Nazi occupation.

The violence also claimed the lives of thousands of Ukrainians in retaliatory attacks carried out by Polish forces.

Zelenskyy’s decision was met with broad condemnation in Poland, while President Karol Nawrocki stripped his Ukrainian counterpart of Poland’s highest honour, the Order of the White Eagle.

Following this decision, Zelenskyy returned the award to Warsaw and skipped the Ukraine Recovery Conference held in Gdansk last week.

Commenting on the dispute, Kosiniak-Kamysz said that Ukraine would face significant difficulties in joining the EU if it venerates groups such as the UPA and the Organisation of Ukrainian Nationalists (OUN).

“With (Stepan) Bandera, Ukraine will not join the European Union,” the Polish minister said, in reference to the founder of the OUN’s radical wing, OUN-B.

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