Poland’s Defence Minister Mariusz Błaszczak signed a deal to protect Slovak airspace together with his Slovak and Czech counterparts at Malacky Air Base in western Slovakia, Polish state news agency PAP reported.
"I am very glad that we signed this declaration of cooperation today, that we will jointly protect the airspace," Błaszczak said at a joint news conference with Slovakia's Jaroslav Nad’ and the Czech Republic's Jana Černochová.
"This is proof that together we are trying to respond to threats by strengthening our armed forces," he added.
"We are neighbours; we are friends; we confront the same threats in our part of Europe; and we are trying to respond to these threats by strengthening our armed forces to deter a possible aggressor," Błaszczak, who is also a deputy prime minister, told reporters.
"We are stronger together," he declared.
The Polish defence ministry said in a tweet that the "declaration strengthens allied cooperation in the face of Russia's armed aggression against Ukraine."
Under Saturday's agreement, Poland and the Czech Republic will police Slovakia's skies for 18 months starting September 1, public broadcaster Polish Radio’s IAR news agency reported.
Meanwhile, Slovakia is waiting for the delivery of 14 new US-made F-16 jets under a deal it signed in 2018, and the jets are due to be supplied in 2024, according to the Reuters news agency.
Slovakia has said it is ready to send 11 MiG-29 fighter jets to Ukraine, which has appealed for more supplies from NATO countries to boost its ability to battle invading Russian forces, Reuters reported.
It cited Slovakia's Nad’ as saying on Saturday that his country remained ready to send the planes to neighbouring Ukraine but no deal had yet been reached.
"There is a political will, and it makes sense, to help those who need help," the Slovak defence minister said, as quoted by Reuters. "The possibility is on the table, and once there is an agreement we will inform you."
Slovakia has already donated an S-300 air defence system, Mi-series military helicopters, self-propelled howitzers and Grad multiple-rocket launcher rockets to Ukraine, Reuters reported.
This week it said it would send 30 tracked infantry fighting BVP-1 vehicles, according to Reuters.
Ukrainian Foreign Minister Dmytro Kuleba said this week that all European nations except Austria and Hungary were sending military aid to his country to help it defend itself against Russia.
Saturday was day 185 of Russia's war in Ukraine.
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Source: IAR, PAP, Reuters, TVP Info