Zelenskyy Heads to Sweden for Talks on Defense Cooperation
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy is set to arrive in Sweden on Tuesday for an official visit focused on strengthening bilateral defense cooperation and discussing joint efforts to counter Russia’s ongoing war of aggression against Ukraine.
The Gaze reports this, referring to a statement by the Swedish government.
Zelenskyy will meet with Prime Minister Ulf Kristersson in Stockholm. The two leaders are expected to address military collaboration, regional security, and Sweden’s continued support for Ukraine’s defense sector.
Following the talks, Zelenskyy and Kristersson will hold a joint press conference, where they are expected to make an announcement concerning defense exports and new industrial cooperation projects.
The discussions will also involve several key Swedish ministers, including Ebba Busch (Minister for Energy, Business and Industry), Maria Malmer Stenergard (Minister for Foreign Affairs), Pål Jonson (Minister for Defence), and Simona Mohamsson (Minister for Education and Integration).
The Ukrainian president will also visit Linköping, one of the country’s major industrial defense hubs.
In particular, the city hosts several Saab facilities, where advanced defense systems such as the JAS 39 Gripen multirole fighter jet, the GlobalEye airborne surveillance aircraft, missile systems, and anti-tank weapons are produced.
Swedish officials have confirmed that discussions will also involve Ukraine’s interest in acquiring the Gripen fighter, which has been under review since 2023.
That year, Sweden authorized the training of Ukrainian pilots on Gripen aircraft, and its parliament approved the potential delivery of jets to Ukraine.
However, in May 2024, Swedish Defence Minister Pål Jonson said Western partners had asked Stockholm to temporarily postpone the transfer of Gripen jets while the focus remained on integrating F-16 fighters into Ukraine’s Air Force.
As The Gaze informed earlier, Sweden has allocated a new large-scale humanitarian aid package worth over $116 million to Ukraine to help it prepare for winter.