Poland’s Ultimatum to Ukraine On MiG-29 Jets

Should negotiations on the barter of  decommissioned Polish MiG-29 fighter jets with Ukraine fail  to be concluded within the next few weeks, Warsaw will sell them to Bulgaria which has already offered to buy them.

Polish Defense Minister Władysław Kosiniak-Kamysz made statements regarding the future of 14 remaining MiG-29s in an interview with Wirtualna Polska.

Ukraine wants the MiGs for free

Poland is demanding drone technology plus some ready-to-use UAVs.  Kyiv, however wants the aircraft for free as some other European nations have done with their MiG-29s and F-16s.

Kosiniak-Kamysz noted, “Ukraine does not use all of the UAVs it produces in combat; it has a production capacity exceeding the needs of the front lines and its own army, and it generates revenue from this. Now it's time to tell them what we expect from them. We want them to share their technical knowledge and experience in areas where they excel, and to cooperate. We expect them to give us some of the UAVs that we can use.”

The negotiations between the parties are addressing where the MiG-29s will be maintained and repaired, and which country will bear the costs.

Ukraine Running out of time

The minister stressed that Warsaw's priority is to reach an agreement with Ukraine, adding that the time remaining for Kyiv to make a decision is rapidly decreasing.

The Polish Defense Minister stated that if an agreement cannot be reached with Ukraine, the option of considering Bulgaria as a potential customer could be explored. “These planes are in such good condition that the Bulgarians would want to buy them. If someone is willing to pay for these planes, it really means they are in good condition.”

In a statement made in June 2026, Kosiniak-Kamysz argued that Ukraine had not fulfilled the requirements of the "MiG-29 in exchange for UAV technology" model it had initially agreed upon. The Polish minister stated, "IF are no UAVs, there are no MiGs."