Ukraine seeks partnership with Sweden for weapons manufacturing – Zelensky
Photo: Office of the President of Ukraine
Head of State Volodymyr Zelensky said that joint defense production with Sweden is a priority for Ukraine and noted that Ukraine needs to strengthen its air defense to deprive the Russian Federation of control over the skies and weapons on the battlefield.
He emphasized this during his speech at the annual Swedish national conference, "Society and Defense."
"Ukraine is already and will always be among the most important European security donors. We want to be able to rely on the best weapons and equipment in the world both for our own security and our partners' security. Therefore, joint production with Sweden is our priority. And I am sure that such a day will come when you and I will be able to see the opening of the first joint production in Ukraine," the head of state said.
He noted Sweden's contribution to Ukraine's defense support: the provided equipment and weapons helped Ukraine and saved soldiers' lives.
Zelensky noted that Ukraine has already started joint defense activities with Türkiye, Romania, Poland, and Great Britain.
In addition, agreements were reached on cooperation with the Czech Republic, the United States, and Germany.
The President also emphasized that solidarity is the basis of security in the modern world, which proves Ukrainian resistance to the Russian invasion.
"We see that Russia's aggressive ambitions can be stopped only where there is sufficient force to stop them. And we will ensure such force only together, in solidarity, by working together to strengthen each other," he said.
According to Zelensky, when a nation relies on the solidarity of others and support, it can successfully confront even a much larger enemy.
As an example, he cited Russia's latest massive attacks on Ukrainian infrastructure and population, which were repelled thanks to air defense systems and other weapons provided by partners.
However, Volodymyr Zelensky emphasized that Ukraine needs to strengthen its air defense.
He spoke about the need for Ukrainian troops for air defense systems to deprive the enemy of the opportunity to control the sky and launch airstrikes against Ukrainian positions.
"This is not enough both on the battlefield and for protecting Ukrainian cities inside the country. There were 500 strikes in a few days. Yes, we were able to repel most of them thanks to the help of our partners – more than 70%. But this is not enough. If Russia loses control of the sky, it will lose all its power on the battlefield. They have no other power: we don't see it," Zelensky said.
He also informed the conference participants that the situation at the front is currently relatively stable. However, Russia continues to accumulate its troops and loses many soldiers in "meat assaults."
As reported, Ukraine and Sweden are discussing joint work in innovation and the probable transfer of Gripen aircraft to Ukraine's armed forces.
The Commander-in-Chief of the Swedish Armed Forces noted that the transfer of Gripen aircraft to Ukraine is being discussed at the political and military operational levels.
For reference:
The Saab JAS 39 Gripen aircraft is a fourth-generation multirole aircraft designed with versatility in mind. Formally, it belongs to the fighter class, but it was conceived as a multi-purpose aircraft capable of performing various tasks.
At the end of May, the Swedish government allowed Ukrainian pilots to undergo training on the JAS 39 Gripen fighter. They would be able to practice on simulators and make test flights.
The Office of the President reported that the transfer of Swedish Gripen to Ukraine should be coordinated with other countries and the supply of F-16.
However, Swedish Prime Minister Ulf Kristersson later said that the country needs aircraft for its own defense because the country's application to join the Alliance has not yet been completed. At the same time, he did not rule out the future transfer of fighter jets to Ukraine.
As Rubryka wrote, on August 19, representatives of Kyiv and Stockholm signed a declaration of intent in Sweden regarding the joint production and maintenance of Swedish CV-90 infantry fighting vehicles.
In Sweden, Ukrainian pilots were allowed to test flights on Gripen fighters.
