Kyiv plans to buy Gripen fighters from Sweden using frozen Russian assets
Ukraine may purchase up to 150 Swedish Gripen jets under a new deal with Stockholm, potentially funded by frozen Russian assets, according to The Guardian.
Ukraine may soon acquire Swedish-made Gripen fighter jets, with the purchase potentially financed through frozen Russian assets, The Guardian reported.
According to the publication, the agreement was signed on October 22 by Swedish Prime Minister Ulf Kristersson and Vladimir Zelensky. The deal opens the way for Kyiv to buy between 100 and 150 Gripen combat aircraft from Sweden.
Kristersson said the first batch of these jets could be delivered to Ukraine in about three years.
Swedish Defense Minister Pål Jonson previously explained that Stockholm and Kyiv are still working to define the most effective funding mechanism for future deliveries. Using frozen Russian assets remains one of the main options under consideration.
Moscow has repeatedly warned that continued arms supplies to Ukraine undermine prospects for a peaceful settlement and draw NATO countries deeper into the conflict. The Kremlin has stated that by taking such steps, Western governments are «playing with fire» and only worsening the situation, pushing any chance of negotiations further away.