Ukraine has begun discussing with Sweden the possibility of obtaining Gripen fighter jets to strengthen its air defense, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky said on Saturday after meeting with Swedish Prime Minister Ulf Kristersson.
This is Zelenskiy’s first visit to Sweden since Russia’s full-scale invasion in February 2022. Negotiations on the receipt of Gripen fighters, which the President of Ukraine called preliminary, followed the receipt from the United States of permission for Denmark and the Netherlands to send F-16 fighters to Ukraine.
“Today we talked in detail about our next steps for the possibility of opening the topic of obtaining Swedish Gripen,” Zelensky said at a joint briefing with Kristersson, adding that this topic will be central to his meetings with other Swedish officials.
Zelensky also said that Ukrainian pilots have already begun training on these aircraft.
In June, the Swedish government said it would give Ukrainian pilots the opportunity to test its Saab-built Gripen fighter, but said all the planes were needed to defend Swedish territory.
In his speech, Kristersson did not mention Gripen, but condemned the Russian missile attack on Chernihiv that killed seven people and injured more than 110.
“This only reinforces the need for us to be by your side in your fight,” Kristersson said.
Ukraine and Sweden also signed an agreement according to which Ukraine will start production of the Swedish CV90 combat vehicle on its territory.
During the visit, Zelensky also meets with the Speaker of the Swedish Parliament, the Riksdag, the Supreme Commander of the Swedish Armed Forces and leaders of the country’s main political parties, the Swedish government said in a statement.
Source : golosameriki.com
