Government: Slovakia to Send MiG-29 Fighter Jets to Ukraine (2)

Bratislava, March 17 (TASR) - Slovakia will send MiG-29 fighter jets and a part of the Kub air-defence system to Ukraine, the interim Cabinet of Eduard Heger decided at its online session on Friday, Heger announced at a news conference on the same day. According to the interim premier, the Cabinet approved the international agreement concerned unanimously. He declared that the Cabinet decided on donating the equipment in line with the Slovak Constitution. Heger said that the interim Government is authorised to decide on international agreements. President Zuzana Caputova has been informed about the issue and Parliamentary Chair Boris Kollar (We Are Family) concurred with the agreement as well, added the premier. "The process of donating the fighter jets is being closely coordinated with the Poles, Ukraine and other allies," said Heger. He stressed that the equipment is intended to protect civilians, denying that this step means Slovakia's involvement in the war. Interim Defence Minister Jaroslav Nad said that Slovakia will donate 13 fighter jets, a part of the air-defence system, respective spare parts and ammunition for the system. Nad confirmed that Slovakia will apply for compensation from the European Peace Facility. There's also a bilateral bid from the USA for specific military equipment, the added value of which for Slovakia would be some 700 million USD, he said. "To sum up, we're talking about compensation for these systems amounting to 900 million USD," stated Nad, adding that it is advantageous for Slovakia's defence capability. However, helping Ukraine to save lives is the priority, he stressed. "This is our main reason to donate to Ukraine MiGs that we are unable to use," stated the minister. Chief-of-General-Staff of the Slovak armed forces Daniel Zmeko claims that donating the fighter jets will have practically zero impact on Slovakia's defence capability, as the Slovak armed forces aren't using them and won't use them in the future, either. "As for Kubs, we cut off a part that shouldn't threaten us in a fundamental way," he added. In February, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy officially asked Slovakia for the MiG-29s. Heger at that time said that Slovakia would do its utmost to comply with the request. ko/df