Prime Minister visits Orbán

Sweden on NATO: Is Hungary now waving an arms deal?

Archive image: The ceremonial handover of Swedish Gripen jets to Hungary's air force in 2008(Bild: AFP)

The Hungarian ruling party Fidesz is abandoning its boycott of Sweden's ratification of NATO membership. There has been speculation in the Hungarian media for days about a possible arms deal that is said to have been negotiated in the background between the two governments.

Hungary's head of government Viktor Orbán said in his state of the nation address that Sweden had taken steps that could lead to an agreement with a view to the Nordic EU partner joining NATO. However, the Prime Minister did not say what these steps were.

Four new Gripen aircraft?
Hungarian media close to the government then reported, without citing any sources, that Hungary was likely to receive four Gripen fighter jets from Sweden. No details of this allegedly planned transaction were given. Hungary has been aiming to purchase them since 2022. The country already has 14 military aircraft of this type from Sweden under a leasing contract that expires in 2026. Hungary will then take ownership of the aircraft.

On Friday, Sweden's Prime Minister Ulf Kristersson will travel to Budapest for talks with Orbán. This was reported by the Hungarian state news agency MTI and the Swedish news agency TT. The Swedish government had previously refused to negotiate ratification with the Hungarian side.

However, it now looks as if the necessary vote in the Hungarian parliament will take place on February 26. Budapest had postponed the ratification of Sweden's accession to NATO several times, citing the allegedly "insulting behavior" of Swedish politicians and media towards the Hungarian leadership. The government of the EU and NATO country maintains close relations with Kremlin leader Vladimir Putin.