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Poland has signaled its willingness to assist Ukraine in modernizing its MiG-29 fighter jets, though the financial burden for these upgrades should fall on Ukraine itself or its allied partners.
Polish Deputy Prime Minister and Defense Minister Władysław Kosiniak-Kamysz made these remarks Saturday, following memorial ceremonies in the Ukrainian town of Olyka marking the 83rd anniversary of the Volhynia tragedy. UATV English reported the news, citing Defence24.pl.
Addressing the possibility of Poland transferring its MiG-29 jets to Ukraine in exchange for access to Ukrainian drone manufacturing technology, Kosiniak-Kamysz described the current outlook as notably more positive than it had been just days earlier.
He pointed out that Ukraine’s drone production capacity is now substantial enough that the country exports units to the Middle East — meaning not all of its output goes toward the war effort, leaving room to share the technology with partners willing to offer support in return.
The minister recalled that Ukraine had initially shown interest in trading drone technology for the MiG-29s, though those talks stalled at one point. He noted that Ukraine has since returned to the negotiating table, and while he remains open to the arrangement, he emphasized that reciprocity and genuine solidarity must underpin any deal.
On the question of jet modernization specifically, Kosiniak-Kamysz confirmed Poland’s readiness to provide support where needed, but made clear that funding would need to come from Ukraine or from allied nations willing to cover the expense.
He expressed confidence that both sides could reach an agreement, provided the principle of reciprocity is upheld.
This follows earlier remarks from Polish Deputy Defense Minister Paweł Zalewski in June, who said Ukraine wasn’t interested in accepting the MiG-29s without prior upgrades, while Warsaw was reluctant to fund those upgrades itself. Kosiniak-Kamysz later confirmed that talks between the two countries on a possible jets-for-drone-technology exchange were ongoing.
He also noted that since Russia’s full-scale invasion began, Poland has delivered roughly PLN 16.5 billion (nearly €4 billion) in military aid to Ukraine, with 90% of that assistance provided during 2022–2023.
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