ADDS BACKGROUND
By Ali Murat Alhas
ANKARA (AA) - Poland expressed its readiness Tuesday to hand over all of its MIG-29 jets to the US as Washington continues its efforts to provide Ukraine with fighter aircraft in its war with Russia.
Warsaw is "ready to deploy -- immediately and free of charge -- all their MIG-29 jets to the Ramstein Air Base (in Germany) and place them at the disposal of the Government of the United States of America," the Polish Foreign Ministry said in a statement.
Calling on other NATO allies that possess MIG-29 jets to "act in the same vein," the country also said it asked the US provide "used aircraft with corresponding operational capabilities."
"Poland is ready to immediately establish the conditions of purchase of the planes," it added.
Following an appeal by Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy, US lawmakers on Monday urged the Biden administration to facilitate the transfer of warplanes to Ukraine via Poland, as well as other countries in eastern Europe and NATO.
US Secretary of State Antony Blinken said earlier that "we are looking actively now at the question of airplanes that Poland may provide to Ukraine and looking at how we might be able to backfill should Poland decide to supply those planes."
NATO member Poland has been an outspoken supporter of neighboring Kyiv since Russia launched a war on Ukraine, triggering a massive influx of refugees, with over 1.2 million taking shelter in Poland.
Russia's war on Ukraine, which began on Feb. 24, has drawn international condemnation, led to financial sanctions on Moscow, and spurred an exodus of global firms from Russia.
At least 474 civilians have been killed and 861 others injured in Ukraine since the beginning of the war, according to the UN, while cautioning that conditions on the ground make it difficult to verify the true number.
Some 2 million people have also fled to neighboring countries, said the UN Refugee Agency.