Ukraine’s Zelenskyy Aims for Western Warplane Coalition; Russians Pressure Bakhmut

Polish President Andrzej Duda (2nd R) and his wife Agata Kornhauser-Duda (R) together with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy and his wife Olena Zelenska stand during an official welcoming ceremony in front of the Presidential Palace in Warsaw, Poland, on April 5, 2023. Aleksandra Szmigiel/Reuters

KYIV—Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said during a trip to Warsaw on Wednesday that Poland would help form a coalition of Western powers to supply warplanes to Kyiv, adding that Ukrainian troops were still fighting for Bakhmut in the east but could withdraw if they risked being cut off.

Neighboring Poland is a close ally of Ukraine and helped galvanize support in the West to supply main battle tanks to Kyiv. During Zelenskyy’s visit, Poland announced it would send 10 more MiG fighter jets on top of four provided earlier.