(Reuters) – President Volodymyr Zelenskiy said on Friday that Poland had taken a decision that would speed up the deliveries of much-needed F-16 jets to Ukraine, but did not say what it was.
Poland, which borders Ukraine and has been a close wartime ally, is not one of the countries that has pledged to supply the jets to Ukraine. There was no immediate comment from Polish Prime Minister Donald Tusk‘s office on Zelenskiy’s remark.
“Today, we have a positive decision from the Polish government on a specific issue, which will allow Ukraine to receive F-16 jets sooner,” Zelenskiy said on X without elaborating.
Polish news agency PAP reported, citing a source close to the defence ministry, that the decision does not concern Polish F-16 jets, which are staying in Poland, and that it was about logistical issues such as transport of jets from other allies.
Kyiv is desperately waiting for deliveries of its first F-16s, which it hopes will enhance its air defence capabilities and help repel regular long-range Russian airstrikes.
Last week, U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken said that the first jets from Denmark and the Netherlands were already en route to Ukraine.
(Reporting by Yuliia Dysa and Anna Wlodarczak-Semczuk; Editing by Gareth Jones and Philippa Fletcher)
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