Hungary announced on Friday it had signed a deal to purchase four Saab SAABb.ST JAS Gripen fighter jets from Sweden. This decision comes as Budapest finally prepares to approve Stockholm’s bid to join NATO after nearly two years of delays.
Hungary was the last member of the transatlantic military alliance holding out against Sweden’s historic application to join, which it made in 2022 in the wake of Russia’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine.
Hungary’s Prime Minister Viktor Orbán, who relented last week, saying parliament would vote on the ratification on Monday, met Swedish Prime Minister Ulf Kristersson and said he had managed to “rebuild trust.”
Hungary will buy the jets and expand a related logistics contract, Orbán said. Hungary currently leases Gripen aircraft under a contract signed in 2001.
“We not only keep our air defense capability but will increase it ... which means our commitment to NATO will strengthen and so will our participation in NATO's joint operations,” Orbán stated during a joint press conference with Kristersson.
Sweden’s NATO application—a major shift away from its decades of non-alignment—was also initially held up by Turkey, which accused Stockholm of supporting what it called terrorist groups.
When Turkey’s President Tayyip Erdoğan signaled in July that he would give Sweden the green light, the U.S. said it would move ahead with the transfer of F-16 fighter jets to Turkey in consultation with Congress.
Finland, which shares a long border with Russia, joined NATO in April of last year.
Hungary’s Prime Minister Viktor Orbán, who relented last week, saying parliament would vote on the ratification on Monday, met Swedish Prime Minister Ulf Kristersson and said he had managed to “rebuild trust.”
Hungary will buy the jets and expand a related logistics contract, Orbán said. Hungary currently leases Gripen aircraft under a contract signed in 2001.
“We not only keep our air defense capability but will increase it ... which means our commitment to NATO will strengthen and so will our participation in NATO's joint operations,” Orbán stated during a joint press conference with Kristersson.
Kristersson said he welcomed the deal. “As you know and I know, we do not agree on everything, but we agree that we should cooperate where possible,” he said, standing next to his Hungarian counterpart.Welcome to Hungary, @SwedishPM ! 🇭🇺🇸🇪 pic.twitter.com/TyuilTifyE
— Orbán Viktor (@PM_ViktorOrban) February 23, 2024
Orbán, whose nationalist government has kept close economic ties with Russia, had repeatedly delayed the ratification, citing grievances over Sweden criticizing Hungary over its record on rule-of-law.Important agreement today between Sweden and Hungary on the acquisition of four new Gripen fighter jets - a Swedish pride and one of the best systems in the world.
— SwedishPM (@SwedishPM) February 23, 2024
Sweden’s NATO application—a major shift away from its decades of non-alignment—was also initially held up by Turkey, which accused Stockholm of supporting what it called terrorist groups.
When Turkey’s President Tayyip Erdoğan signaled in July that he would give Sweden the green light, the U.S. said it would move ahead with the transfer of F-16 fighter jets to Turkey in consultation with Congress.
Finland, which shares a long border with Russia, joined NATO in April of last year.
Source: Reuters
More In Politics MORE...
