The U.S. sent two PATRIOT surface-to-air missile batteries to Poland in preparation to enforce a no-fly zone over that country and parts of its border with Ukraine.
Deploying Patriot batteries to Poland will make it difficult for Russian warplanes to fly in the targetted area.
“At the direction of the Secretary of Defense and at the invitation of our Polish allies, General Wolters, Commander of U.S. European Command, has directed U.S. Army Europe and Africa to reposition two Patriot Batteries to Poland,” United States European Command (EUCOM) spokesman Capt. Adam Miller said in a statement.
The move will enable the operation of Ukrainian aircraft from Polish airfields amidst Russian threats to militarily counter any country that supports the Ukrainian Army.
This development came hours after the Pentagon rejected Poland’s proposal to transfer its MiG-29s to a U.S. airbase in Germany to support Ukraine. The U.S. had offered F-16 aircraft to Poland if it donates its MiG-29 and other Soviet-era aircraft to Ukraine. Unlike European countries, the Ukrainian Air Force does not operate U.S.-built aircraft such as F-16s, so the Ukrainian pilots will need to undergo requisite training for flying these jets. Transferring MiG-29s to Kyiv would’ve been the easiest and fastest option to fulfill its need.