• Pistorius confirmed that Germany received Warsaw's official request
• Poland needs Germany's approval to send its remaining jets
• West has been reluctant to provide Ukraine with advanced fighter jets

The German defense ministry announced Thursday that Germany had approved Poland's request to export five old MiG-29 fighter aircraft to Ukraine to reinforce its air defenses against the Russian invasion.

Boris Pistorius, the German defense minister, stated that the request was received on Thursday and that Berlin's sanction the same day demonstrated Germany's dependability.

Poland to Send More MiG-29 to Ukraine

Upon reunification in 1990, Germany inherited 24 MiG-29 aircraft from the former German Democratic Republic. The aircraft was considered among the most sophisticated fighter fighters in the world at the time.

In 2004, Germany transferred 22 aircraft to Poland. One of the remaining two aircraft was destroyed in an accident, while the other is displayed in a museum. According to Fox News, Poland requires Berlin's approval to transfer its remaining aircraft to a third country.

During his visit to Warsaw last week, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky stated that Poland would help establish a coalition of Western powers to supply Ukraine with aircraft.

Ukraine, which plans to launch a counteroffensive in weeks or months, wishes to acquire fighter aircraft for air defense. Until now, Western nations have been hesitant to send sophisticated fighter jets such as F-16s to Kyiv, but a few countries have stepped up to ship the Ukrainian military obsolete MiG-29 aircraft.

When Germany delayed the delivery of German-made tanks for several months, it came under pressure from its allies, with Poland, in particular, pressuring Berlin by declaring its readiness to proceed without Germany's assent.

Poland President Andrzej Duda Andrzej stated last week that his nation had already delivered eight MiG-29 fighter aircraft to Ukraine and could provide the entire remaining inventory, including those of German origin.

According to Politico, contracts for purchasing German military equipment typically stipulate that the federal government must approve any subsequent transfer. On the margins of a visit to German troops in the West African nation of Mali, German defense minister Boris Pistorius of the Social Democratic Party announced that the official decision will be made public later today.

In addition to Poland, Slovakia has pledged to dispatch MiG-29 fighter aircraft to Ukraine, and Prime Minister Eduard Heger has stated that "promises must be kept."

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Russia-Ukraine War

Defense Minister Boris Pistorius stated that Berlin received the Polish request on Thursday and that Chancellor Olaf Scholz's ruling coalition agreed to swiftly grant the go-ahead as part of Berlin's ongoing efforts to support Ukraine's fight against the Russian invasion, Bloomberg reported.

Pistorius stated that the request from Poland had been received on Thursday and that the sanction on the same day demonstrated that "you can depend on Germany."

Upon reunification in 1990, Germany inherited 24 MiG-29 aircraft from the German Democratic Republic, also known as East Germany. The aircraft was considered among the most sophisticated fighter fighters in the world at the time.

Ukraine, which plans to commence a counteroffensive in the future weeks or months, desires fighter jets to defend against Russian air attacks. Fighter aircraft had been at the top of Kyiv's equipment wish list since the beginning of the conflict, but efforts had been concentrated on acquiring advanced Western tanks.

Per Al Jazeera, demand for Western aircraft has increased since Germany and the United States agreed to dispatch Leopard 2 and Abrams tanks to Ukraine. Poland, which has supplied Ukraine with 14 Leopard 2 tanks manufactured in Germany, was an early proponent of sending fighter aircraft to the war-torn nation.

Although the MiG-29s may provide Ukraine with some respite, they are unlikely to meet all of its needs. Andriy Melnyk, the Deputy Foreign Minister of Ukraine, has previously advocated for "a formidable fighter jet coalition for Ukraine" consisting of F-16s and F-35s manufactured in the United States, Eurofighter, Tornado, Rafale, and Gripen aircraft.

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