US Nixes Polish Plan To Supply Jets To Ukraine

Earlier today, the Pentagon dismissed Polish plans to supply all of its MIG-29 jets to Ukraine via the US-run Rammstein airbase in Germany.

• In a statement, US Department of Defense spox John Kirby stated that “to fly into airspace that is contested with Russia over Ukraine raises serious concerns for the entire Nato alliance...We will continue to consult with Poland and our other Nato allies about this issue and the difficult logistical challenges it presents, but we do not believe Poland’s proposal is a tenable one,”
• The US rejection of the Polish plan - which seems to have been announced without consultation with NATO allies - reinforces the stance of major powers in the alliance such as the US, UK, and France, that while hard line sanctions are appropriate the risk of having a NATO jet firing at a Russian one is too large of a risk to take in potentially engendering a hot war between Russia and the NATO alliance.
• UK Transport Secretary Grant Shapps stated this morning that NATO must be 'careful and cautious' about its involvement in Ukraine, remaining 'defensive' and working not to 'escalate this war'.
• The UK gov't was petitioned by Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky in an historic address to Parliament last night. The Ukrainian leader repeated his call for a no-fly zone to be imposed over his country. The swift rejection of Poland's plan indicates that this call is likely to continue to go unanswered.