In theory, or on the paper, selling an aircraft is as simple as selling bread.

Reality is fundamentally different. For example: defence requirements of the country in question. Bulgaria and Slovakia do operate MiG-29s…

In theory, or on the paper, selling an aircraft is as simple as selling bread.

Reality is fundamentally different. For example: defence requirements of the country in question. Bulgaria and Slovakia do operate MiG-29s, and could hand them over to Ukraine, but they have no other supersonic interceptors in service. Means: both would have their skies unprotected from that kind of threats - and that at the time of a war in a neighbouring country.

Another example: donating MiG-29 to Ukraine would change next to nothing in the skies. No matter how much upgraded, MiG-29 is obsolete and no serious opponent for latest Russian interceptors.

Finally, donating other kind of aircraft to Ukraine - like, say, US-made F-16s - would not work 'just like that'. It would not only require a complete re-qualification of Ukrainian pilots and ground personnel, but also the construction of necessary support infra-structure in Ukraine. That would take 2-3 years, at least - and result just in addition of another, de-facto obsolete weapons system to the Ukrainian arsenal, because neither MiG-29 nor F-16 can combat Russian ground troops as effectively as a larger number of UCAVs could.

Overall, Ukraine needs new, high-tech and long-range weaponry, no obsolete 'point defenders'. As much as fighter-jets are 'sexy' for the eye (and 'great' for pilot bravado), they would be no solution for most pressing needs of Ukraine, right now.