UPPSALA, Sweden, May 28 - Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskiy will be hosted by Sweden's Prime Minister Ulf Kristersson on Thursday, the Swedish government said, and a person familiar with the matter told Reuters that the two leaders will reveal news connected to Saab's Gripen fighter jets.
Last year Kristersson and Zelenskiy signed a letter of intent that would allow for Sweden to sell as many as 150 Gripen E model fighters to Ukraine. The agreement is not a finished sale and, according to public details, the anticipated deliveries of the Gripen E would occur several years out from any final contract.
Because of that timing, there have been separate discussions about moving existing Swedish Gripen C and D model aircraft to Ukraine. A source with direct knowledge of those talks told Reuters that Thursday's announcement will involve Gripen jets, but that source declined to provide further details.
Financial markets reacted to the report. Shares in Saab rose after the news and were up 5% at 0834 GMT, according to market data cited in the report. The article noted that the jets are a stated priority for Ukraine's fighter fleet and that Ukraine's defence minister said in May a deal for Gripen E could be signed "within months" after the European Union approved a c90 billion loan for Ukraine.
Context provided publicly indicates three relevant strands: the letter of intent for up to 150 Gripen E aircraft, the multi-year delivery window associated with those new-build jets, and parallel discussions about transferring existing C/D model aircraft as an interim option. The announced meeting between Kristersson and Zelenskiy is the setting in which further details are expected.
The reporting cited a source who confirmed the announcement would involve Gripen jets but gave no additional specifics on timing, contract structure, financing or numbers beyond what has already been made public.
Where available, market data showed Saab shares rising in early trading following the reports of the planned announcement.