The President of Slovakia stated that the decision to transfer MiG-29 fighter jets to Ukraine was a mistake, as the country at that time did not have a full replacement for them. He also rejected claims that these aircraft were unusable. Slovak President Peter Pellegrini announced this on his social media, as reported by UNN.
Details
"Getting rid of the MiG-29 fighters was a mistake – and it wasn't 'a pile of scrap.' I am convinced that the ability to ensure the protection of one's airspace is a sign of any country's sovereignty. That is why, as prime minister, I issued an order to keep the then-Slovak MiG-29 fighters in combat readiness until the new American F-16 aircraft arrived. To this day, I consider it a mistake that Slovakia got rid of its MiGs, for which it had no replacement at the time. No other country has done this in such a way that it remained exclusively committed to helping its neighbors after donating its own weapons," Pellegrini's post reads.
Also, the President of Slovakia rejected the arguments of the then coalition that the MiG-29s were allegedly "a pile of scrap."
"If that were the case, none of them would have been able to fly from Slovakia to Ukraine. Even as prime minister, I had the opportunity to personally experience a flight directly on a MiG-29, and the aircraft was able to perform all its tasks," Peter Pellegrini emphasized.
He also stressed that he does not intend to interfere in the political or criminal investigations that have emerged around the issue of fighter jet transfers.
"As President of the Slovak Republic, I will not interfere in the political or criminal investigations that have emerged in recent days regarding the donation of fighter jets. However, the people of Slovakia have the right to know whether the then Heger government, which governed without the confidence of parliament, had the right or not to donate our MiGs to Ukraine," Pellegrini added.
Recall
The investigator stopped the criminal prosecution regarding Slovakia's transfer of MiG-29 fighter jets to Ukraine. The transfer of military equipment did not harm the Slovak Republic.