Ukraine ready to buy "all 150 Gripen fighter jets" using EU loan funds – Zelenskyy
Ukraine will allocate part of the funds earmarked for defense from the EU’s €90 billion financial assistance, including for the purchase of Gripen fighter jets from Sweden.
President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said this during a joint press conference with Prime Minister Ulf Kristersson, Censor.NET reports, citing European Pravda.
EU loan
Zelenskyy recalled that on Thursday, 28 May, the Verkhovna Rada of Ukraine approved in the first reading and as a whole a bill on the Loan Agreement and the Memorandum of Understanding, under which Ukraine is to receive €90 billion in financial assistance from the EU.
"These are funds for two years, including for our defense," the president said.
Purchase of Gripen jets
Zelenskyy said Ukraine would allocate €2.5 billion from this assistance to purchase Gripen fighter jets.
The president said Ukraine would buy "all 150 fighter jets" and expressed hope that the funding would be sufficient.
Background
Earlier that day, Swedish Prime Minister Kristersson announced the future transfer to Ukraine of 16 used Gripen fighter jets and plans to sell 20 units of the new model of this aircraft this summer.
