Zelenskyy heads to Sweden for defense talks and factory visit
Volodymyr Zelenskyy (Photo: REUTERS/Jonathan Ernst)
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy will visit Sweden to meet with Prime Minister Ulf Kristersson in Linköping, home to defense company Saab’s facilities, the Swedish government announced on Oct. 22.
After the meeting, Kristersson and Zelenskyy will hold a joint press conference and make a statement on the export of military products.
During the meeting, the leaders will discuss Russia’s war against Ukraine and bilateral defense cooperation between Sweden and Ukraine, the press service said.
Linköping is the production hub of defense contractor Saab, the manufacturer of the JAS 39 Gripen fighter jet, the GlobalEye surveillance aircraft, missile systems, anti-tank weapons, and other equipment.
On Sept. 30, Sweden’s Defense Ministry confirmed talks with Ukraine about a possible transfer of Gripen fighter jets but said no decision had yet been made.
Gripen fighters for Ukraine
In December 2023, then–Air Force spokesperson Yurii Ihnat said international partners were considering the transfer of Swedish Gripen jets to Ukraine. He also noted that the F-16 would remain Ukraine’s main combat aircraft.
In March 2024, Swedish Defense Minister Pål Jonson said Sweden did not rule out supplying its Gripen fighters to Ukraine.
Earlier, Sweden had stressed it needed to join NATO before beginning discussions on transferring the jets to Ukraine.
On May 28, Jonson announced that Sweden had suspended plans to provide Gripen fighters to Ukraine to allow for the deployment of F-16 jets first.
On June 9, Air Force aviation commander Serhii Holubtsov said Ukraine already had the necessary infrastructure to host Swedish Gripen fighters.
Later, Swedish Foreign Minister Tobias Billström said Sweden had been ready to supply Gripen jets to Ukraine, but official Kyiv had declined for now.
According to the diplomat, Ukrainian authorities concluded that introducing two fighter systems — both the F-16 and Gripen — at the same time would be too complex.
On Sept. 22, 2024, then–Ukrainian Defense Minister Rustem Umerov said Kyiv and its Western partners were discussing the potential delivery of Gripen and Eurofighter jets.
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