Polish President Andrzej Duda says his country will supply Ukraine with a total of 14 Soviet-designed MiG-29 fighter jets.
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy won new pledges of closer cooperation during a visit to neighboring Poland, where he thanked the country for its military support and for welcoming Ukrainian refugees.
Since Russia launched its full-scale invasion of Ukraine in February last year, Ukraine and Poland have forged a closer relationship, with Warsaw playing a leading role in persuading sometimes-reluctant allies to supply Kiev with heavy weapons.
During the visit on Wednesday, Polish President Andrzej Duda said Poland would provide Ukraine with a total of 14 Soviet-designed MiG-29 fighter jets to help the country repel the Kremlin attack.
The former Soviet satellite that is now a member of the European Union and NATO feels particularly threatened by Russia and has been a leading advocate for aid to Kiev.
The visit to Warsaw was a rare wartime getaway from Ukraine for Zelenskyy. While he previously traveled to the United States, Britain, France and Belgium, the trip to Poland stood out because it was announced in advance and undertaken without the secrecy of previous foreign trips.
It was also the first time Zelenskyy and First Lady Olena Zelenska traveled abroad together since the war began, said Marcin Przydacz, head of Duda’s foreign policy office.
At a press conference with Duda, Zelenskyy said his government “warmly welcomes” Polish companies willing to help Ukraine with post-war reconstruction, which the World Bank estimates could cost $41 billion.
Zelenskyy said Poland should become an important partner in the massive reconstruction needed once Russia’s invasion ends. He later met Prime Minister Mateusz Morawiecki and said he would sign agreements on the development of Ukrainian infrastructure.
Duda also awarded his Ukrainian counterpart the Order of the White Eagle, Poland’s highest award.
“You have stood shoulder to shoulder with us, and we are grateful for that,” Zelenskyy said after receiving the award. “I believe these are historic relations, a historic outcome and historic strength between our countries.”
Duda said he was confident Ukraine would emerge victorious from the conflict.
“We have no doubt that your behavior combined with the heroism of Ukrainian soldiers saved Ukraine,” he said. “We have no doubt that your actions will save Europe from a deluge of Russian imperialism.”
The visit to Poland, which has taken in more than a million Ukrainian refugees, comes as Ukraine prepares to launch a counter-offensive in the coming weeks or months to retake lands to the east and south from Russian forces.
Zelensky said on Wednesday that the situation in the Ukrainian eastern city of Bakhmut was “very, very difficult” and that “according decisions” would be taken if Kiev’s troops there were surrounded by Russian troops.
“For me, the most important thing is that we do not lose our soldiers and of course, if there is a moment of even hotter events and there is a danger of losing our personnel because of encirclement – of course, the corresponding correct decisions will be made by generals there,” he said.
Duda said Poland is working to secure additional security guarantees for Ukraine at a NATO summit to be held in Lithuania’s capital Vilnius in July.
In addition to MiG-29 jets, Ukrainian officials have also pushed for F-16 fighter jets to better enable Kiev to hit Russian missile units with US-made missiles, but Duda foreign policy adviser Przydacz said Poland will not decide anytime soon or send any.
The Polish public overwhelmingly supports the Ukrainians in their war with Russia. An Ipsos poll found that 82 percent of Poles think NATO and European Union countries should support Ukraine until it wins.