Sweden, Ukraine Sign New Weapons Development Agreement

Sweden and Ukraine announced on Thursday that they have signed a letter of intent to establish a new weapons development program in Ukraine, according to AFP.

The deal follows a similar accord on aviation, signed by President Volodymyr Zelensky and Swedish Prime Minister Ulf Kristersson in October, intended to facilitate the sale of up to 150 Swedish Gripen fighter jets to Ukraine.

Writing on X, Defense Minister Denys Shmyhal said that the two countries are continuing to work to “accelerate their transfer and integration into the Ukrainian Air Force so that Gripen jets can defend Ukrainian airspace as early as next year.”

At a joint press conference with his counterpart, Swedish Defence Minister Pal Jonson said that Swedish personnel will work on site in Ukraine as part of the latest cooperation agreement – adding that Ukraine will exchange its battlefield expertise for Sweden’s experience in developing advanced weapons systems, AFP reports.

Shmyhal said that Ukrainian and Swedish defense companies already have joint contracts, though he declined to identify them on the grounds that “Russians will destroy their facilities.”

In terms of funding for the new program, he said that the two countries are considering four options: money derived from frozen Russian assets, Swedish contributions to Ukraine, and fundraising from European partners or international organisations.

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Although the Ukrainian government is open to buying the last model E Gripen fighter jets in the future, he said that he would ask Sweden “as a friend” to transfer older models (which have already been built) in order to accelerate the process. seems likely to be the best option if Swedish Gripens are indeed to be seen in Ukrainian skies as early as 2026.

On Oct. 27, Zelensky said that Ukraine is working to build a modern fleet of 250 fighter jets, of which Swedish Gripens (alongside American F-16s and French Rafales) are expected to make up a large part.

Also on Thursday, Shmyhal visited the offices of Gripen’s manufacturer, Saab.

“We discussed possible directions for technical cooperation with the company’s leadership and the next steps for supplying the aircraft to Ukraine,” he said.