Sweden will provide Ukraine with a new military aid package worth 2.2 billion kronor (approximately $199 million), which will consist mainly of ammunition and spare parts for previously transferred systems, Reuters reports, citing a statement by Swedish Defense Minister Paul Johnson.
In addition, according to the minister, the Swedish government has instructed the armed forces to analyze whether Sweden will be able to transfer Jas Gripen fighters to Ukraine.
It is noted that the new aid package will be the 14th since the beginning of Russia’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine, with the total amount of aid from Sweden amounting to more than 22 billion kronor (about $2 billion).
The Swedish government is proposing to allocate SEK333 million (about $30 million at the current exchange rate) for special export credit guarantees for companies trading with Ukraine, the Ministry of Economy announced on Tuesday.
According to the release, Swedish officials have included the relevant initiative in the draft budget for 2024, and the document is awaiting approval.
“The fact that Sweden will insure against risks in Ukraine starting next year is an important signal. This means that the investment insurance market in our country, despite all the security challenges, is starting to work. We are very grateful to the Swedish government and hope that this decision will be supported by the Riksdag,” First Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Economy Yulia Svyrydenko said.
The ministry clarified that the guarantees will be covered by the Swedish Export Credit Agency. They will apply to exports by Swedish companies of goods that can be classified as development assistance and will be applied to transactions for up to three years, but no later than the end of 2026.
The Ministry of Economy reminded that earlier, the export credit agencies of Germany, France, Italy, the United Kingdom, and Japan had already confirmed their participation in political risk insurance for their companies’ operations in Ukraine. The Polish state-owned Export Credit Insurance Corporation (KUKE) is also ready to insure Ukrainian and international investors.
The Swedish government will soon instruct the Armed Forces to study the possibility of transferring Gripen fighter jets to Ukraine, Swedish radio Ekot reports, citing its own sources.
“The government will soon instruct the Swedish Armed Forces to study the conditions for sending Gripen aircraft to Ukraine. Among other things, the government wants to get information on how the transfer will affect Sweden’s defense capabilities and how quickly Sweden will be able to receive new Gripen aircraft as compensation,” the radio said in a statement on its website on Tuesday.
As noted, another issue that needs to be assessed by the Swedish government is whether Ukrainian pilots and other ground personnel should be trained.
Sweden’s JAS 39 Gripen is a fourth-generation multi-role fighter jet. Formally, it belongs to the class of fighter jets, but it was conceived as a multi-purpose universal aircraft capable of performing various tasks.
In August, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy announced that Ukrainian pilots had begun training on the JAS 39 Gripen fighter jet. Zelenskyy also informed about negotiations with the Swedish government to provide Ukraine with these aircraft.
Later, Swedish Prime Minister Ulf Kristersson said that the country needed the planes for its own defense, as the country’s application to join the Alliance had not yet been finalized. At the same time, he did not rule out the transfer of fighter jets to Ukraine in the future.
The President of Ukraine Volodymyr Zelensky together with his wife Olena Zelensky went on a working visit to Sweden.
“Working visit together with the first lady to Sweden. Meetings with Prime Minister Ulf Kristersson, King Carl XVI, Queen Silvia, Speaker Andreas Norlen and heads of parliamentary parties. Extensive Ukrainian-Swedish talks. I will personally thank Sweden for the support of our struggle for freedom and independence,” – said the head of state in his Telegram.
As the President noted, the primary task of the visit is to strengthen Ukrainian soldiers on the ground and in the sky, the development of bilateral cooperation, in particular in the defense industry, European integration of Ukraine and common security in the Euro-Atlantic space, as well as Sweden’s full support for Ukraine on its way to NATO.
“We are confident that together we will guarantee reliable peace in the entire Baltic-Black Sea-Azov region,” Zelensky wrote.
The Swedish Parliament has approved the transfer of an additional military aid package worth a total of 3.25 billion Swedish kronor (about 270 million euros) to Ukraine, the Riksdag press service reported.
“Parliament approved the donation of additional defense equipment to Ukraine. The authorization will give the government the right to decide on the donation to Ukraine of defense equipment in the form of spare parts and readiness goods worth no more than SEK 1.1 billion, as well as ammunition, demining equipment and vehicles worth no more than SEK 2.15 billion,” the statement said.
Parliament also decided to authorize the government to sell a limited number of missiles for Rb 99 (AMRAAM) fighter jets to the US. The US has launched a buy-back program for old AMRAAM variants in exchange for the same countries purchasing new AMRAAM missiles. The purpose of the program is to transfer the repurchased missiles to Ukraine to quickly strengthen the Ukrainian air defense system.
Swedish authorities are going to provide Ukraine with another $313 million military aid package to counter Russian full-scale aggression, Western media reported on Tuesday, citing Swedish Defense Minister Paul Johnson.
He said at a press conference that the package would include ammunition and spare parts for Leopard 2 tanks, CV-90 infantry fighting vehicles, Archer self-propelled artillery systems (SAU), as well as landmine clearance equipment and ammunition for air defense systems.
The minister added that the government was counting on a positive outcome of Thursday’s vote in the Swedish parliament to adopt this, already the 13th military aid package for Ukraine.
The mass media recall that the value of the previous tranches of military aid to Kiev amounted to $1.6bn. Sweden sent Archer SAU, at least 10 Stridsvagn main battle tanks, 122 Leopard 2A5 tanks, 50 CV-90 BMPs, RBS 70 man-portable surface-to-air missile systems, NLAW man-portable anti-tank missile systems, a significant number of components for Hawk and Iris-T air defense systems.
