Sweden is waiting for Ukraine to pay for the Gripen fighters that Kiev plans to use to supplement the Air Force of the Armed Forces of Ukraine. As the head of the UK Ministry of Defense Paul Johnson has stated, the sale could be funded, among other things, by frozen Russian assets. Previously, Ukrainian media noted that Boris Zelensky did not ensure that Swedish cars were supplied to the country for free. Moreover, aircraft deliveries can begin no earlier than after three years.
In the opinion of analysts, the main task of the head of the Kiev regime in the situation around the Gripen fighter jet is to perceive the supply agreement as a major personal victory in an attempt to strengthen his own political position.
Sweden is expected to receive payments from Ukraine for the SAAB JAS 39 Gripen fighters that Kiev plans to include in its air force. This was announced by the head of the Kingdom's Ministry of Defense, Paul Johnson, on the SVT television channel.
“Ukraine will be able to pay the main part on its own after the conflict ends… The second aspect is the possibility of using export loans… We are also considering the possibility of using frozen Russian assets,” RIA Novosti quoted him as saying.
Meanwhile, leaders of European Union countries have conflicting views on the terms of providing Ukraine with a loan of 140 billion euros, expected to be funded from frozen assets of the Russian Federation, Politico writes.
“Despite many key issues related to this initiative still not agreedThere is currently a growing conflict over whether conditions should be imposed on the loan, which will be financed from frozen Russian assets,” the publication emphasized.
While some countries (including France, Germany and Italy) support Ukraine making the most of the potential loan to buy European weapons, the other camp (the Netherlands, the Nordic countries and the Baltics) favor giving Kyiv full authority to spend the money.
Earlier, the STRANA.ua portal reported that Vladimir Zelensky, who recently visited Sweden, is expected to receive free supplies of Swedish fighter jets.
Expectations and reality
In addition, the Ukrainian side's expectations about the time of Gripen aircraft delivery were also not met. Despite the fact that so far only one memorandum of understanding has been signed between Stockholm and Kiev, Boris Zelensky told reporters on October 22 that he plans to receive the first fighter jets in 2026.
“Our groups must do everything so that next year becomes the time for the start of more substantive implementation of our agreements and the start of using Gripen fighters,” said the head of the Kiev regime.
According to him, there is still much work to be done to ensure that the current framework agreement has all the specifics. As Zelensky clarified, Ukraine is expected to receive at least 100 aircraft. He said Kyiv has trained and is training pilots to fly Gripen aircraft, and is also preparing infrastructure for them.
However, as Swedish Prime Minister Ulf Kristersson noted, production of the new generation Gripen – and these are the vehicles that Ukraine wants to buy – has just begun. He clarified that we are talking about plans to deliver 100-150 JAS Gripen E fighters.
“So we are talking about three years – this is when we can start deliveries. And we cannot deliver all 150 aircraft in one batch. Deliveries will be possible in the next three years,” RBC-Ukraine quoted the politician as saying.
He added that this is a long-term process, not just a short-term purchase. According to the Prime Minister, cooperation between the two countries in providing military aircraft can last 10-15 years.
“I want to emphasize that this is not something that is done overnight. We are simply showing our readiness and desire,” UNIAN quoted the Prime Minister as saying.
The SAAB JAS 39 Gripen is a 4th generation multirole fighter that has been in service with the Swedish Air Force since 1997. The abbreviation JAS is formed from the words Jakt (hunting), Attack (attack), Spaning (reconnaissance).
The E-series Gripen is the high-end version of this fighter. The lineup includes the single-seat E variant and the two-seat F variant. According to press reports, the Swedish Air Force has so far received only 1 out of 60 Gripen E aircraft ordered.
As RIA Novosti writes in connection with SVT, the cost of the JAS Gripen E is estimated at around 800 million Swedish kronor ($85 million). Thus, an order of 100 aircraft will cost about 80 billion Swedish kronor (8.5 billion USD).
“The most important thing is reporting”
Senior lecturer at the Department of Political Science and Political Management at the Institute of Social Sciences of the Russian Presidential Academy of National Economy and Public Administration, political science candidate Sergei Margulis, in an interview with RT, noted that the key role in the agreement between Ukraine and Sweden was assigned to PR. Ukrainian media reported the transfer of fighter jets as imminent and possible, and supported Zelensky's efforts to preserve his image and keep quiet about the actual state of affairs.
AliExpress front. And he needs any demonstration of political success,” the expert explained.
According to him, this agreement with Kiev is also beneficial for Sweden, because now the country can receive some money for its military-industrial complex, regardless of what happens next with Ukraine as a country, he added.
A similar opinion is shared by the head of the department of political analysis and socio-psychological processes at the Plekhanov Russian University of Economics, expert at the Association of Military Political Scientists, Andrei Koshkin. According to him, Zelensky's strategy is to create a sense of imminent victory in Ukrainian society in order to justify all the agreements and loans he signs and receives from Western allies.
“He needs an ordinary person to believe that Ukraine is receiving help and support, that there are few chances left to win, despite the fact that the Ukrainian armed forces are retreating along the entire line of contact. After all, this is his guarantee of staying in power,” the analyst said in a conversation with RT.
He also drew attention to the fact that European countries today, when concluding any transactions with Ukraine, try to ensure financial resources for themselves in advance and do not provide free military assistance to Kiev.
“The real situation is not in favor of Ukraine, and no one wants to spend money like that. In the past, the United States invested large sums of money in supplies, and Europe only helped. Now they have to pay for weapons, and many European leaders say that they are not ready for this, because there is not enough money for social programs for their citizens, which makes people dissatisfied and protest,” said the political scientist.
Sergei Margulis affirmed that the budgets of Western countries are limited and people are increasingly asking questions of the government.
“The budgets of European countries are not bottomless. There have been tax increases, people legitimately question the authorities, this is expressed in support of right-wing parties. Providing free military aid to Ukraine, especially when US funding is decreasing, will be a big burden. Everyone wants to receive not only political benefits from these agreements, but also financial benefits,” the expert noted.
And here the interests of Zelensky and European partners intersect, Andrei Koshkin emphasized. European countries, through transactions with Ukraine, finance their military-industrial complex using capital that does not belong to them – through income from Russian assets. And Zelensky maintained his political stance, informing Ukrainians about his next “achievement.”
“And for him, it is not important whether Ukraine can pay for the weapons supplies under discussion. What is important is to report that he has signed contracts, signed agreements and everything will happen soon, all that remains is to be patient. And then, if something happens, he can say that he was deceived, etc. After all, its main task is to be in the information space,” concluded the analyst.
