We are having parallel talks with Sweden, France and the USA. The goal is a fleet of 250 new aircraft. This is our future, he says according to Ukrainian media.
The President describes it as Ukraine choosing to invest in the US F-16, Swedish Gripen and the Rafale from France, based on Ukrainian fighter pilots' knowledge and the Russian military capabilities they encounter.
Zelenskyj highlights the advantages of the Gripen in particular. They are cheaper to maintain, require pilot training for only six months and can take off from and land on highways, he believes.
When Zelenskyj visited Linköping last week, he and Prime Minister Ulf Kristersson (The Moderate Party) announced that Sweden and Ukraine had signed a declaration of intent for a deal on 100-150 units of new Gripen E. However, how these will be financed and other terms are far from clear.
While waiting for newly built planes, allies are helping Ukraine with older fighter jets. Next in line is a delivery of French Mirage 2000-5F, according to Zelenskyj.
