German Left denounces FM’s stance about jets supply to Kiev

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Germany's Left Party tersely denounced Foreign Minister Annalena Baerbock's comments on the possible supply of MiG-29 fighter jets to Ukraine, urging German Chancellor Olaf Scholz to "stop his minister."

Sevim Dagdelen, a party representative and a member of the Bundestag Committee on Foreign Affairs, told Germany's ARD broadcaster that "the Left strongly condemns the plans submitted by Federal Foreign Minister Annalena Baerbock to supply Ukraine with Polish MiG-29 fighter jets. Chancellor Olaf Scholz must stop his foreign minister, who is irresponsibly threatening to pave the way for further escalation and expansion of Russia's war, including against NATO members, by promising to support [supplies of] MiG-29 fighter jets for Ukraine".

According to Dagdelen, Baerbock not only "consciously disregarded the government's position in Warsaw," but also provoked "further escalation up to NATO involvement" in the Ukraine crisis.

Baerbock told ARD, on Sunday, that preparations for the transfer of Polish MiG-29s to Kiev were underway. At the same time, Polish government spokesperson Piotr Muller stated that no decision had been made to transfer combat aircraft to Ukraine.

Earlier in March, a number of Western media outlets reported that Washington and Warsaw were discussing the possibility of restocking Poland's fighter fleet if the country transferred its MiG-29 fighter jets to Kiev.

Ukrainian Presdient Volodymyr Zelensky held a video call with members of the US Congress on Saturday, according to the Wall Street Journal, and urged them to support possible supplies of "Russian-made jets that Ukrainian pilots can fly."

According to media reports, the US is considering supplying Poland with F-16 fighters in exchange for Ukraine receiving "Soviet aircraft".

On its part, the Financial Times reported that the White House has raised "a number of difficult practical questions, including how the planes could actually be transferred from Poland to Ukraine."

On February 24, Russia launched a special operation to demilitarize and "denazify" Ukraine in response to DPR and LPR calls for assistance in countering Ukrainian troop aggression. According to the Russian Defense Ministry, the special operation is only targeting Ukrainian military infrastructure and poses no threat to civilians. Moscow has repeatedly stated that it has no intention of occupying Ukraine.

For months prior to the Russian special military operation, Western countries had been arming Ukraine. 

Ukraine has now requested additional weapons from the European Union, including air defense and anti-missile systems, as well as fighters, mortars, and automatic weapons.