Zelenskyy visited Stockholm as Western nations discuss whether to let Kyiv use weapons provided by them to strike targets inside Russia. The security deals with Sweden and Norway bring to 15 the number of agreements Kyiv has signed with Western nations.
Under the latest deal, Sweden will transfer two ASC 890 surveillance aircraft – seen as crucial for identifying incoming cruise missiles and drones and identifying targets in the air and at sea – as well as its entire stock of armoured tracked personnel carriers. But Stockholm will not yet transfer Saab Gripen fighter jets to Ukraine. Sweden joined the Western military alliance this year and does not have such jets.
Ukraine signed a 10-year security deal with Norway, which is in addition to its existing bilateral aid programme that provides $7 billion over five years in combined military and humanitarian aid. Under the additional deal, Norway, a neighbour of Russia in the Arctic, will focus on maritime and air defence needs and would be “open” to the Norwegian defence industry localising production in Ukraine, seen as a way to speed up delivery of defence supplies.
Berlin eases stance
Meanwhile, Germany joined the United States on Friday in authorizing Ukraine to hit some targets on Russian soil with the long-range weapons they are supplying – a significant policy change that comes as depleted Ukrainian troops are losing ground in the war.
Both Germany and the U.S. specifically authorized the use of weapons to defend Kharkiv, whose capital city of the same name lies only 20 kilometers (12 miles) from Russia.
