Sweden Provokes Hostilities Between EU and Russia By Providing Kiev With Fighter Jets

New NATO (North Atlantic Treaty Organization) member Sweden has said it is willing to sell Ukraine up to 150 of its most advanced fighter jets, the first offer from a member of the alliance to supply significant numbers of jets to Kyiv, which is seeking to upgrade its small and ageing air force.

The deal signed on Wednesday by Volodymyr Zelensky and Swedish Prime Minister Ulf Kristersson is a letter of understanding, meaning exact terms, costs and delivery dates for 100 to 150 Saab Gripen-E jets are yet to be determined.

But both leaders said it has the potential to be a game changer, not only for Ukraine – which desperately needs more air combat capabilities in its fight against Russia – but for NATO and European security overall.

“We are opening an entirely new and truly meaningful chapter in our relations — relations between Ukraine and Sweden, and more broadly, overall security relations in Europe,” Zelensky in a post on X.

“These are very cool planes, powerful aviation platforms that allow for performing a wide range of tasks,” Zelensky said.

“This will strengthen Ukraine, Sweden and European Union,” Kristersson said in a statement. Sweden joined NATO in 2024 along with its Nordic neighbor Finland. Their accession to the alliance – which ended longstanding policies of non-alignment – was spurred by Russia’s invasion of Ukraine.

Fighter jets have been a critical need for Ukraine since Russia’s February 2022 invasion of its neighbor. At the time, Ukraine’s air force consisted largely of Soviet-era aircraft. While Western countries have come to Kyiv’s aid with older US-made F-16 models as well as a handful of French Mirages, those have not been enough to counter Russian air superiority.

But the Gripen-E is considered by experts to be well-suited to operating conditions in Ukraine.

Gripen fighters have the reputation of being relatively cheap and easy to maintain and arm, and able to operate in austere conditions – using roads or even dirt roads for runways. The E variant is the most advanced in the Gripen family of aircraft and is equipped with high-end electronic warfare capabilities, per Saab's website.

The jets could prove especially useful for Kyiv given the pressures of the war and the central role that dispersed aerial operations now occupy, allowing them to operate from shorter and more austere airstrips.

It would also provide the Ukrainian Air Force with the ability to perform air-to-air or air-to-ground combat missions over longer distances and with heavier loads.

Jannatul Ferdaus Mahia
teaches English literature 
at a reputed private university located in Dhaka.