Poland, Czech Republic call on EU to set up additional fund to support Ukrainian refugees

Ukrainians evacuate to avoid fighting in the city of Irpin, northwest of Kyiv, Ukraine on March 5, 2022.

On April 29, Polish Prime Minister Mateusz Morawiecki said that his country and the Czech Republic will ask the European Commission (EC) to set up new financial resources to facilitate the two countries to support the flow of refugees from Ukraine.

Speaking at a press conference, Prime Minister Morawiecki stated: "We (Poland and the Czech Republic) have agreed to send a petition to the European Commission, asking this agency to create new funds to support refugees fleeing conflicts."

According to Mr. Morawiecki, this initiative will soon be submitted to the EC.

Also on April 29, the defense ministers of Poland and Slovakia said Warsaw was ready to protect Slovakia's airspace while Bratislava suspended the operations of its MiG-29 fighter jets - a move that paves the way for the possible delivery of this batch of Soviet-made aircraft to Ukraine.

Slovakia currently operates 12 MiG-29s. Earlier this month, Slovakia said it would consider supplying the aircraft to Ukraine if other arrangements could be made to protect its airspace.

Speaking at a press conference with his Polish counterpart Mariusz Blaszczak, Slovakian Defense Minister Jaroslav Nad stated: “I received confirmation that Poland is ready to protect Slovakian airspace from the moment Slovakia decided to suspend the operations of the MiG-29 fighter jets.”

According to him, Slovakia is moving forward with the necessary legal procedures for such a move.

For his part, Minister Blaszczak said Poland could use its experience in patrolling the airspace of the Baltic countries.

“These missions will be carried out from the territory of Poland… According to the regulations, we will expand the operational range of the combat group using Polish F-16 aircraft,” he said.

However, the two officials did not say when Poland would begin its mission to protect Slovakia's airspace.

Slovakia is scheduled to receive the first batch of US-made F-16 fighter jets in 2024.

This will be the first delivery in a deal of 18 aircraft that the two sides agreed on in 2018.

According to Vietnam+