Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy and Swedish Prime Minister Ulf Kristersson signed a joint declaration to deepen security and defense cooperation, including work within the Drone Deal format. The signing came during Zelenskyy's working visit to Sweden on 28 May, the President's Office said.
The two leaders met at Uppsala Air Base, where Gripen fighters were on display.
The declaration, which came with Sweden's largest military aid package for Ukraine to date, worth about $2.7 billion, commits both sides to building integrated, multi-layered air defense, including scaling up production of air defense systems and improving anti-ballistic capabilities.
The countries will also deepen defense-industrial cooperation and work toward a bilateral security and defense agreement.
$2.7 billion package built around Gripens and drones
The package includes nearly $400 million for drone production and, as its centerpiece, Swedish Gripen multirole fighters, the President's Office said.
Sweden will donate 16 older Gripen C/D jets, with delivery expected in early 2027, while Ukraine plans to buy up to 20 new Gripen E/F using €2.5 billion from an EU loan, with those deliveries from 2030. Ukrainian pilots and technicians have already begun training on the jets, according to Swedish Defense Minister Pål Jonson.
Sweden returns to a deal it once paused
Kristersson called the donation a historic decision that significantly strengthens Ukraine's air defense. It marks a reversal: in 2024, Sweden suspended plans to send Gripens after partner countries asked it to prioritize US F-16 deliveries first, Euronews reports.
The jets are part of a broader framework, signed in October 2025, for up to 150 Gripens, according to Euromaidan Press.
Zelenskyy contrasts Sweden's consistency with other allies
Zelenskyy thanked Sweden for its consistent support and used the moment to press other partners.
"It is precisely such determination, as in Sweden, that brings peace closer, and we would very much like some of our other partners... to be just as consistent, principled, and to help within what they really can," he said.
Kristersson, for his part, said Ukraine's Armed Forces show extraordinary resilience in defending their country and its values.
