The Swedish Ministry of Defense called NATO membership a condition for the supply of JAS 39 Gripen to Kyiv
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The Swedish government has instructed its armed forces to analyze the conditions for the transfer of combat aircraft to Ukraine, which should include the country’s accession to NATO before the delivery of JAS 39 Gripen fighters to Kyiv. should from a press release from the Swedish Ministry of Defense.
The department clarified that the report should include an analysis of the impact of a possible transfer of military aircraft to Ukraine on Sweden’s defense capability. “A prerequisite for possible support for JAS 39 is that Sweden first becomes a member of NATO,” it said.
The military also needs to take into account that Ukrainian pilots underwent familiarization training on the JAS 39 Gripen. In addition, the armed forces must communicate the terms of possible support for Kyiv within the framework of the international coalition for the supply of F-16s.
On October 6, the Swedish government decided on additional amendments to the budget, which include a proposal for the 14th package of military support for Ukraine. It contains artillery ammunition, spare parts, and infantry equipment and communications equipment. In addition, Stockholm will provide Kyiv with ammunition for the Stridsfordon 90 worth approximately 1.7 billion Swedish kronor ($153.7 million). The total cost of the package will be 2.2 billion Swedish kronor ($198.9 million).
According to government data, since February 2022, Sweden has provided Ukraine with more than 20 billion Swedish kronor ($1.8 billion) in military support.
Sweden applied for NATO membership four months after the start of Russia’s special operation in Ukraine in February 2022. Turkey opposed its entry. Later, Ankara agreed to ratify the protocol on the admission of Stockholm to the military bloc. President Recep Tayyip Erdogan said Turkey’s parliament could consider the issue in October. On September 26 he named One of the conditions for the ratification of the protocol on Sweden’s membership in NATO is the purchase of American F-16 fighters.
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