A Slovak government official said the country was in “serious talks” with NATO allies on protecting its airspace.
“Then we can consider this equipment in relation to Ukraine,” said Edward Heger after a meeting with his Belgian representative Alexander de Groove in Bratislava.
Modernized Soviet-era MiG-29s located at the Slyak military base in central Slovakia.
However, Edward Heger did not specify whether the warplanes would be donated or sold to Ukraine, which was facing a Russian invasion.
The Slovak Prime Minister warned that talks with the Allies could last “a few weeks” and that the deployment of warplanes was not yet immediate.
Slovak Defense Minister Jaroslav Knot can carry out air defense from a US base on Polish soil.
“There are many possibilities, but planning is in the hands of the military, ours [forças] Or members of the Alliance [Atlântica]Jaroslav Knot was highlighted on Sunday.
Slovakia’s defense chief has warned that keeping MiG-29 fighter jets “in the air” would be a problem as they are maintained by Russian mechanics.
He pointed out that “the Russian side seems to have failed to fulfill its contractual obligations” and expressed the intention to suspend the cooperation program with Moscow as soon as possible in order to keep the MiG-29s permanently on the ground.
But this will be a concern for the Slovaks, as the fleet is expected to operate by 2024, with 14 F16 fighter jets expected to arrive from US manufacturer Lockheed Martin.
Slovakia has already shipped Russian-made S-300 anti-missile system to Ukraine in exchange for the US Patriot Anti-Air Force, and will now sell the Slovakian Zuzana artillery system to neighboring countries.