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In the latest major development in what’s become a “huge operation” mounted by individual NATO member states to assist Ukraine’s military, Poland has announced it is ready to transfer all of its Russian-made MIG-29 jets to the Rammstein Air Base in Germany.

A statement posted Tuesday to its Ministry of Foreign Affairs website indicated the jets will be placed “at the disposal of the Government of the United States of America” which in turn is expected to send them to Ukraine, after President Zelesnky has issued a series of urgent appeals for fighter planes.

“The authorities of the Republic of Poland, after consultations between the President and the Government, are ready to deploy – immediately and free of charge – all their MIG-29 jets to the Rammstein Air Base and place them at the disposal of the Government of the United States of America,” it said. 

It’s part of a controversial deal which had in the last days emerged and which was widely reported as being in the works, despite Poland as recently as Sunday greatly downplaying it – perhaps not wanting to prematurely provoke Russia’s wrath. It was previously confirmed that the other side of the deal would see Washington quickly replace Warsaw’s depleted MiG-29 jets with F-16 fighters.

The statement from Poland’s government followed with: “At the same time, Poland requests the United States to provide us with used aircraft with corresponding operational capabilities. Poland is ready to immediately establish the conditions of purchase of the planes.”

“The Polish Government also requests other NATO Allies – owners of MIG-29 jets – to act in the same vein,” the statement concluded.

Days ago Secretary of State Antony Blinken said the US is “very actively” looking at resupplying Poland if it can quickly transfer its own Russian-made aircraft to Ukraine. 

“We are looking actively now at the question of airplanes that Poland may provide to Ukraine and looking at how we might be able to backfill should Poland decide to supply those planes,” Blinken previously from in Moldova, while on a trip that highlighted the growing refugee crisis from the war.

“A perilous delivery” it will be, ABC’s chief Washington correspondent observes, given Russia has threatened to militarily block major external weapons shipments…

Major development — Poland says it will hand over all its MIG-29 jets – immediately and free of charge.

But the jets are to be turned over to the US to be delivered to Ukraine – a perilous delivery.https://t.co/lVl94EOf4h

— Jonathan Karl (@jonkarl) March 8, 2022

Crucially, there was also this recent statement from an unnamed Polish official given to FT: “I can’t speak to a timeline but I can just say we’re looking at it very, very actively.” The official said further, “Poland is not in a state of war with Russia, but it is not an impartial country, because it supports Ukraine as the victim of aggression. It considers, however, that all military matters must be a decision of Nato as a whole.”

Already many NATO nations have been supplying Ukraine with anti-tank and anti-air should fired missiles, but if a large-scale movement to get more fighter jets to Kiev gains momentum, this will certainly mark a huge escalation, and the Kremlin has recently warned it could attack such provocative military supplies coming from the West.