Ukraine plans to use EU support to purchase the Swedish Gripen fighter jet. Swedish Defense Minister Pål Jonson stated this after meeting his Ukrainian counterpart Mykhailo Fedorov at the EU defense ministers' meeting.
Swedish Defense Minister Pål Jonson (M) has announced that Ukraine wants to use part of the 90 billion euros in EU support decided upon to finance the purchase of Gripen jets and build a stronger air defense. The statement came after a meeting with the new Ukrainian Defense Minister Mykhailo Fedorov during the EU defense ministers' meeting.
"Through these 90 billion euros that we have been able to secure, Ukraine will also want to use some of those funds to start financing Gripen and the build-up of a stronger air defense," Jonson says.
The EU has previously decided to borrow 90 billion euros for Ukraine, with a large portion available for weapon purchases. Jonson could not specify when a potential Gripen purchase might occur.
"We are working on it continuously and having a very intensive dialogue with Ukraine," he adds. He also mentions that Sweden is discussing co-financing with other countries. "We are in an intensive phase."
The discussions are ongoing intensively, but no specific timelines have been set.
