Top U.S. Senate Republican says getting planes to Ukraine still under discussion

FILE PHOTO: U.S. Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-KY) faces reporters following the Senate Republicans weekly policy lunch at the U.S. Capitol in Washington, U.S., March 8, 2022. REUTERS/Evelyn Hockstein/File Photo

U.S. Senate Republican leader Mitch McConnell said on Tuesday the idea of arming Ukraine with warplanes transferred from Poland was still under discussion.

The United States last week rejected an offer by Poland to transfer Russian-made MiG-29 fighter jets to boost Ukraine's air force in its defense against invading Russian forces.

"I haven’t met anybody in the Senate who's not in favor of seeing those MiGs get into Ukraine. Exactly how to make that happen is still under discussion," McConnell told reporters.

The United States has worked to speed weapons deliveries to Ukraine. But the Pentagon said last week the prospect of flying combat aircraft from NATO territory into the war zone "raises serious concerns for the entire NATO alliance."

(Reporting by David Morgan and Katharine Jackson; Editing by Chris Reese and Alistair Bell)