Dear Ulf, dear Prime Minister, thank you for this meeting, for this visit, and for your strong support!
Dear friends, dear members of our delegations!
Dear Sweden!
First of all, I would like to thank Sweden for all its support for Ukraine. We deeply value the support for our people and for our defense. Sweden is absolutely committed to protecting life, and we value this immensely. It is precisely this kind of determination, like Sweden’s, that brings peace closer. And we would very much like some of our other partners – Ukraine’s partners – to be just as consistent, just as principled, and to contribute to the extent they are truly able.
This is truly a historic development, a historic day for our cooperation and for our countries. Today, there is a new support package from Sweden, and this support opens up a new level for us in saving the lives of our people – in protecting our cities and communities. This package, worth USD 2.7 billion, includes various elements to make us stronger. In particular, it includes funding for drone production – almost USD 400 million.
But most importantly – the Gripens. The Prime Minister has already mentioned this. We began this discussion earlier, and last year, at the end of last year, the relevant decisions were taken. In my view, those were also important, historic decisions, but we started this process. We reached an agreement in December. And today, we already have a decision on combat aviation. Swedish fighter jets that will definitely strengthen our air fleet and our air defense. More than USD 2 billion in support from this package is specifically for the aircraft. We expect to receive the first capabilities – the first Gripens – within the next ten months. For our part, we will do everything possible to make it happen, and we are counting on this. Importantly, these aircraft will come with the corresponding weapons package, which will also help protect us against Russian guided aerial bombs. We are talking a squadron of Gripens for Ukraine, and it is extremely significant support for us.
In addition, as we previously agreed with Ulf, Ukraine is ready to purchase Gripens. We are starting this process. At the European Union level yesterday and today in our parliament – the Verkhovna Rada of Ukraine – final decisions have been adopted on a European support package for Ukraine, worth EUR 90 billion over two years, including funding for our defense. From this very package, we are allocating EUR 2.5 billion for the procurement of modern Gripens.
So overall, this year, next year, and our future cooperation are all about building Ukraine’s fleet of Swedish Gripens – we have all seen these aircraft, truly excellent combat machines. And this will help us guarantee the security of Ukraine and Ukrainians
Ulf, I thank you, your entire team, and all of Sweden for these undoubtedly strong steps. We are also very grateful to SAAB and other representatives of Sweden’s high-level manufacturing sector.
Today, we also discussed the details of our cooperation across all other areas. I briefed the Prime Minister on the situation in Ukraine – on the battlefield and in our defense against Russian strikes. Russia continues to place far greater hope in missiles and in killing people on the frontline than in diplomacy. This must be changed. The key to this is to continue supporting Ukrainian air defense, and the most important element today is protection against Russian ballistic missiles and other types of missiles. Europe has its own tools to defend against cruise missiles, but when it comes to ballistic threats, it is much more difficult – we are forced to rely primarily on the United States. Now, because of the war in Iran, the supply of missiles for Patriots has become more problematic. On Tuesday, I wrote and sent a special letter on this matter to the President of the United States and the United States Congress – a detailed letter covering all aspects of what is needed and how the supply of a sufficient number of Patriots – missiles, above all, and systems – can influence the end of the war. We hope for a response, and I am grateful to all senators and members of Congress, to all our friends in the United States who are sympathetic to my appeal.
But we are also actively working with our European friends. I believe Europe must have here, at home on its own continent, all the necessary defense capabilities. We need our own European antiballistic capabilities in sufficient quantity and with sufficient strength. We will work on this, including within the NB8 format – one of our most effective formats, bringing together Ukraine, the Nordic countries, and the Baltic states. We are preparing for the NB8 summit in June.
I am also grateful to you and your government, Ulf, for all the sanctions steps – everything that limits Russia’s capacity for aggression.
And one more thing.
I am grateful to Sweden for its principled support for our movement toward the European Union. We are counting on the opening of the negotiating clusters very soon – everything is ready for this. And we must move further so that Ukraine’s participation in European affairs – our security experience, our economic potential, and the potential of Ukrainian creativity – becomes a full-fledged part of European relations and European development. Ukraine is fighting with all its strength for its life and for the European way of life. And we are very grateful to everyone who supports us, everyone who respects us, the Ukrainian people, and everyone who helps us bring peace closer. Thank you once again, Sweden!
Thank you once again, Ulf!
Glory to Ukraine!
