A few days ago, Swedish officials reported that the story with the transfer of JAS 39 Gripen aircraft to the Armed Forces of Ukraine was put on pause for now, as F-16s are a priority for Ukraine within the so-called aviation coalition.
Gripen fighters are important for Ukrainian aviation because up to 200 modern aircraft of various types are needed to fully protect the skies. But their delivery has been postponed until the F-16s arrive in Ukraine.
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However, as of May 31, there are at least two signals indicating that Ukraine may still receive JAS 39 Gripen aircraft from Sweden.
First, Swedish Minister for Foreign Affairs Tobias Billström made a statement before the meeting of Ministers for Foreign Affairs of NATO countries in Prague.
According to Ukrinform, Billström made the following statement: "We will not be supplying Swedish Gripen for the time being, as the message from the F-16s coalition is that it will be difficult to integrate two types of aircraft at the same time. Therefore, perhaps the Grippen will be provided after the F-16s and the coalition will do its job."
In addition, the head of Swedish diplomacy also emphasized that in order to provide Ukraine with an alternative and a supplement to the F-16s, Sweden has provided two Saab 340 airborne early warning and control aircraft.
Second, on Friday, May 31, President of Ukraine Volodymyr Zelenskyy and Prime Minister of Sweden Ulf Kristersson signed an Agreement on Security Cooperation in Stockholm.
This agreement will be valid for 10 years. Sweden will provide an average of 2.2 billion euros in military aid to Ukraine annually. In addition to the direct transfer of equipment and weapons, it is also planned to work on the organization of joint production.
It is important to note that this agreement provides for the possibility that Sweden may still transfer JAS 39 Gripen aircraft, as well as additional Archer self-propelled howitzers and CV90 combat vehicles to Ukraine.
Earlier Defense Express reported that Sweden had become the first country that allowed Ukraine to use its weapons against russia's territory.
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