Polish minister says Ukraine stalled ‘MiGs for drones’ deal
Poland’s defense minister says Ukraine has not followed through on what he described as a promised drone-technology exchange, even after Warsaw supported Kyiv militarily and discussed sending more MiG-29 fighter jets.
Defense Minister Władysław Kosiniak-Kamysz told a Polish radio broadcaster that talks over a possible exchange had been going on for months. The deal, as he described it, would have given Kyiv access to Poland’s remaining MiG-29 fighter jets in return for Ukrainian drone technology.
“If Ukraine is no longer interested in the jets, Poland will handle them on its own,” Kosiniak-Kamysz said. “Ukraine cannot forget that solidarity is a two-way street.”
Why Poland wants Ukraine’s drone expertise
The dispute shows how valuable Ukraine’s drone expertise has become during the war.
Poland has been one of Ukraine’s strongest backers since Russia launched its full-scale invasion in 2022, sending military aid and serving as a key logistics hub for Western support. Poland also transferred 14 MiG-29s to Ukraine in 2023, becoming the first country to supply Kyiv with fighter jets after the invasion, according to Euronews.
Now, Warsaw is signaling frustration that Ukraine has not shared drone technology with Poland while pursuing drone deals with other countries. Kosiniak-Kamysz pointed to what he described as Ukraine’s ability to sell drones to Kuwait as evidence that Kyiv reciprocate to countries that have helped it.
“If Ukraine is already able to sell drones to Kuwait and generate revenue from it while at war,” he said, “then it is capable of reciprocating to those who provide their equipment and — at times, symbolically — sharing its own capabilities.”
Poland says no drones means no MiGs
Kosiniak-Kamysz described the arrangement as a “MiGs in exchange for drones” deal.
He told Polsat News that Poland had offered Ukraine a “very fair, partnership-based approach.” He said the arrangement stalled because Warsaw had not received drones or drone capabilities from Kyiv.
“The Ukrainians initially accepted it but did not follow through, so there are no MiGs for Ukraine because there are no drones or drone capabilities for Poland,” he said.
Separately, Euronews reported that Poland approved the transfer of nine MiG-29 fighter jets to Ukraine in January. The aircraft were Soviet-era planes Poland had planned to retire as it moves toward U.S.-designed F-16s and F-35s. Euronews said it was unclear whether those jets were part of the proposed exchange.
How drones became part of Ukraine’s diplomacy
Ukraine has started linking its wartime defense industry to relationships with countries that came to its aid after the Russian invasion.
In an April 28 post on X, President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said Ukraine would open arms exports to countries that had supported it. He said the exports would include “Drone Deals” covering Ukrainian drones, missiles, ammunition, military equipment, software, expertise and technology exchange.
Around the same time, Polish Prime Minister Donald Tusk announced a project to build a modern Polish drone fleet with Ukrainian technical expertise.
“We are building this friendship above all in defiance of those who would like to destroy Ukraine, Poland, or Europe,” Tusk said.
That makes the current dispute sharper because Poland is not only asking for weapons, but for access to battlefield-tested knowledge Ukraine has developed under Russian attack.
Wartime history fuels the dispute
The drone dispute is unfolding alongside a deeper fight over history.
Reuters reported that Polish President Karol Nawrocki stripped Zelenskyy of Poland’s highest state honor after Zelenskyy awarded a Ukrainian military unit a title connected to the Ukrainian Insurgent Army, or UPA. Poland says the UPA massacred of Poles during World War II.
An analysis in The Conversation said the dispute reflects long-running differences over historical memory. In Ukraine, the UPA is often remembered for its resistance to Soviet rule. In Poland, it is tied to the killings of tens of thousands of Poles in Volhynia.
Kosiniak-Kamysz alleged Kyiv was using the history dispute for domestic political reasons. He also warned that such tensions could fuel far-right parties seeking to capitalize on anti-Ukrainian sentiment.
Venerating such groups the UPA and the Organization of Ukrainian Nationalists could complicate Ukraine’s bid to join the European Union, Kosiniak-Kamysz said.
“With Bandera, Ukraine will not join the European Union,” he said, referring to Stepan Bandera, founder of the OUN’s radical wing.
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Ella Rae Greene, Editor In Chief
