🇸🇪Sweden does not exclude the possibility of supplying its Gripen fighter jets to Ukraine, Swedish Defense Minister Pal Jonson said in an interview with the Kyiv Independent in Stockholm on March 28, adding that the "deliberations are ongoing."

Sweden has been hesitant to supply its jets, stressing that it first needs to join NATO before it can consider this option. The Nordic country joined the alliance on March 7, potentially opening the door for the transfer of the aircraft.

"The deliberations are ongoing, and they take place within the fighter jet coalition," Jonson said.

The minister reminded that Sweden is also part of the fighter jet coalition, an allied initiative helping Ukraine acquire U.S.-made F-16 fighter jets and the necessary training.

Speaking about Western aid for Ukraine, Jonson said that Europe must "step up" its support and "compensate for some of the support that is going down."

As Ukraine faces increasingly severe ammunition shortages, European allies have been seeking to fill the gap left by the decrease in U.S. aid, which has been blocked for months by domestic political disputes.

Jonson noted positive developments in the Swedish and European defense industry. Stockholm has been investing its own and EU funds into the production of 155 mm shells, which are crucially needed on Ukrainian battlefields.

The country is also part of several international initiatives aimed at boosting ammunition manufacturing.

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