The opposition Social Democrats want Sweden to send Jas Gripen fighter jets to Ukraine, party leader and former prime minister Magdalena Andersson told a press conference on Thursday after some EU countries and Norway announced they would send F-16 fighter jets.
As Ukraine’s counter-offensive continues, the importance of air support capabilities appears to become even more central to the realisation of its military objectives.
According to some sources quoted by Norwegian national broadcaster TV2 and confirmed by NRK, Norway could soon send F-16s to Ukraine. The information came as Norwegian Prime Minister Jonas Gahr Støre visited Kyiv on Thursday.
The Swedish Social Democratic Party then declared that it wants Stockholm to send Jas Gripen fighter jets to Ukraine, party leader Magdalena Andersson told a press conference on Thursday.
“It would make a big difference for Ukraine”, she said, adding that if Ukraine’s offensive is to succeed, its air defence must be strengthened.
“We cannot let Russia win. Jas Gripen fighter jets would make a big difference for Ukraine,” Andersson added.
However, a thorough analysis of the consequences for Swedish defence capability must first be carried out, and Sweden must also have become a NATO member, the Social Democrats said.
According to Peter Hultqvist, former defence minister and current defence policy spokesman, an analysis of how this will affect Sweden should be done immediately, including reviewing how many aircraft can be spared.
“It is better to start this work now than to wait for NATO membership to be finalised,” he said, adding, “This is a big and important decision, and it should be made on a stable basis.”
However, the Swedish government has not said it is prepared to send Jas Gripen fighters, saying that the planes are needed to defend Sweden in the current situation.
Defence Minister Pål Jonson from the centre-right Moderates has repeated the government’s position since last spring when the issue was raised that there are no Jas Gripen aircraft to send from Sweden.
“We don’t have any planes to spare,” Jonson said in May, adding that the Swedish government has no objection in principle to providing Ukraine with fighter jets.
(Charles Szumski | EURACTIV.com)
Read more with EURACTIV
Dutch to start training Ukrainians to hunt maritime mines
Source: euractiv.com
