Poland's Minister of National Defense "Władysław Kosiniak-Kamysz" publicly clarified the reasons why his country will not provide "MiG-29" fighter jets to Ukraine, even though such a possibility was included in previous bilateral agreements. In an interview for the "Gość Wydarzeń" program on Polish television "Polsat News", he stated that Kyiv had backed out of an agreement to share technology for unmanned aerial vehicles, which led to the blocking of the planned delivery of the aircraft.
"MiGs in exchange for drones": what the proposed formula was
Kosiniak-Kamysz explained that he had offered Ukraine a "very partnership-based approach" based on a "MiGs in exchange for drones" formula. Poland's condition was that in exchange for providing fighter jets, it would receive access to knowledge and technology in the field of unmanned systems, in which Ukraine already has significant developments.
According to him, the Ukrainian side initially agreed to such an exchange, but subsequently failed to fulfill the agreement. "I proposed what seemed to me to be a very partnership-based approach. MiGs in exchange for drones. The Ukrainians initially agreed, but did not fulfill this agreement, which is why there will be no MiGs for Ukraine, since Poland has neither drones nor the capabilities for their use," the minister stated.
Ukraine and drone technology: Warsaw's expectations
Kosiniak-Kamysz admitted that, according to the Polish side, Ukraine possesses "significant capabilities" in the sphere of drones – both in terms of their combat use and their development and production. For this reason, Warsaw believed that "in response to the transferred military equipment," Kyiv could share "know-how" with Poland and partially provide access to technologies in the field of unmanned systems and anti-UAV measures.
The minister emphasized that, in his view, such an exchange of experience and technology should have been an important element of "solidarity and bilateral military cooperation" between Poland and Ukraine. Kyiv's refusal to implement this part of the agreement, he said, called into question the balance in relations and led to the decision not to provide the MiGs.
Stronger defense of national interests
Kosiniak-Kamysz, who is also Deputy Prime Minister, noted that the current Polish government defends national interests in its relations with Ukraine "significantly more strictly" than previous authorities. He emphasized that the cabinet adheres to the principle of solidarity, but simultaneously expects "reciprocity" – not just providing aid, but also an exchange that includes technology and knowledge.
At the same time, the minister stated that he does not consider the decisions of previous Polish governments, which in the first months after the start of the full-scale Russian invasion of Ukraine provided military equipment without preconditions, to be a mistake. "They acted correctly, I will say more: I would have done the same. Ukraine was in a much more difficult situation then," said Kosiniak-Kamysz, highlighting the criticality of the first months of the war.
From bilateral agreement to the rejection of the MiG-29
At the heart of the current dispute lie previous bilateral documents and expectations. In July 2024, during a visit by Ukrainian President "Volodymyr Zelenskyy" to Warsaw, Ukraine and Poland signed a bilateral security agreement. It included a provision to consider the possibility of transferring a squadron of Polish "MiG-29" fighter jets to Ukraine – at least 14 aircraft.
The expectations then were that the transfer of the MiG-29s would take place after the Polish Air Force received new, American-made "F-35" fighter jets to replace the Soviet machines. In late 2025 and early 2026, the Polish government was developing a new military aid package for Ukraine that was planned to include armored vehicles and "MiG-29" fighters.
On June 15, 2026, Poland's Deputy Minister of Defense "Cezary Tomczyk" confirmed that the transfer of the aircraft was "suspended" due to Ukraine's refusal to provide access to its military technologies in the field of drones and anti-UAV measures. It is precisely this dispute over technological exchange that Kosiniak-Kamysz now frames with the phrase "no MiGs, because there are no drones".
Political and military consequences
The refusal to transfer the MiG-29s does not mean an end to Poland's support for Ukraine, but it shows a shift in approach – from unconditional military aid to a more careful balancing of expected benefits and conditions. For Ukraine, this is a loss of a potential source of additional combat aviation, especially given that the MiG-29s are a type of aircraft with which Ukrainian pilots already have experience.
For Poland, the case is a signal to the public that the government aims to ensure that every significant military aid package is accompanied by concrete benefits – in this case, access to drone technologies, which have become a key element of modern warfare. On a broader scale, the dispute raises questions about how far "solidarity" between allies goes and where firmly defended national interests begin.