Poland is speeding up negotiations with Bulgaria regarding the MiG-29
Poland is stepping up cooperation with Bulgaria regarding the possible transfer of Polish MiG-29 fighter jets. Polish Prime Minister Donald Tusk stated that he had received a positive response from his deputy defense minister and promised his Bulgarian counterpart, Rumen Radev, a prompt reply. No specific details regarding the number of aircraft or the timeline for their transfer have been disclosed yet.
Poland has stepped up cooperation with Bulgaria regarding the possible transfer of Polish MiG-29 fighter jets. According to Tusk, during the meeting, Radev asked him about the possibility of strengthening cooperation between the two countries regarding the MiG-29s. The Polish prime minister promised to provide the Bulgarian side with a prompt response.
During the press conference itself, Tusk reported that he had received a positive response on this matter from Poland’s Deputy Minister of National Defense, Cezary Tomczyk. Addressing Radev, the Polish prime minister said, “You’ll hear some good news when we discuss the MiGs shortly.”
Following this, representatives of the expanded delegations from Poland and Bulgaria were to discuss the transfer of the aircraft. At the same time, Tusk did not specify exactly how many Polish MiG-29s Bulgaria might receive. Also, no timeline has yet been announced for the possible transfer of the aircraft.
What Is Known About the Polish MiG-29s
For several years now, Poland has been gradually reducing its fleet of Soviet-made fighter jets and transitioning to more modern aircraft. The future of the Polish MiG-29s has previously been discussed with Ukraine as well. In July, former Polish Minister of National Defense Janusz Onyszkiewicz stated that Bulgaria could be one of the potential recipients of these aircraft if Warsaw and Kyiv fail to agree on the terms for transferring the MiG-29s to Ukraine.
At the same time, Poland’s Deputy Minister of National Defense, Paweł Zalevski, reported that Ukraine is not interested in receiving the Polish MiG-29s without prior modernization. Poland, for its part, is not prepared to finance such upgrades to the aircraft. Another option discussed by Warsaw and Kyiv is a possible exchange of Polish MiG-29s for modern Ukrainian unmanned aerial vehicle technology. Poland’s Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of National Defense, Władysław Kosiniak-Kamysz, had previously announced the continuation of these talks. Currently, Poland and Bulgaria have intensified negotiations regarding the MiG-29s. The parties are set to discuss further details at the level of expanded delegations. Polish Prime Minister Donald Tusk announced this on September 24 during a joint press conference with Bulgarian Prime Minister Rumen Radev in Warsaw.
