President Volodymyr Zelensky and Swedish Defense Minister Pal Jonson discussed the prospects of joint weapons production and future negotiations for signing a bilateral security guarantee agreement, according to a Feb. 24 statement by Zelensky's office.
The two met in Ukraine on the two-year anniversary of Russia's full-scale invasion of Ukraine, and four days after Sweden announced its largest yet defense aid package for Ukraine, worth $682 million.
That latest package brought the total value of Swedish military assistance to Ukraine since the start of the full-scale invasion to 30 billion Swedish krona ($2.88 billion).
"Today is the day when this tragedy began, and it is crucial for us when our friends are here," Zelensky said the statement.
This year, Ukraine has inked bilateral security agreements with the U.K., Denmark, Germany, Canada, Italy, and France, while additional countries have said they plan to sign agreements in the near future.
The security agreements follow a pledge made last July by the Group of Seven (G7) countries to make long-term bilateral security agreements with Ukraine to deter Russian aggression.
Martin Fornusek
(Updated: )
