On 19 August, representatives of Kyiv and Stockholm signed a statement of intent in Sweden on the joint production and service of the Swedish-designed CV-90 infantry fighting vehicles.

"I warmly welcome today’s statement of intent, signed here just a few minutes ago. A concrete sign of the joint desire of Sweden and Ukraine to strengthen cooperation on production, training and servicing of the CV-90 platform," Swedish Prime Minister Ulf Kristersson said during a press conference following a meeting with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy.

The Swedish prime minister noted that since February 2022, Stockholm's total bilateral assistance to Kyiv has amounted to €2.2 billion, including the latest military aid package worth €270 million.

"And let me be clear, in the field of foreign security policy, no task is more important for my government than supporting Ukraine in its fight for freedom and territorial integrity. Ukraine is fighting for us. For all European democracies."

According to the statement of intent published by the President's Office, Ukraine and Sweden declared their desire to "strengthen cooperation in production, operation, training, and servicing of the CV90 platform."

"Sweden and Ukraine share the conviction that closer cooperation will contribute to competence building and further development of Western platforms. It will also open up possibilities for further, and closer, cooperation in the future."

In January, Sweden announced it would provide Ukraine with about 50 CV-90 IFVs. The country's parliament approved the transfer in a military package approved in February.

The CV-90 IFVs are equipped with 40mm automatic cannons, smoke grenade launchers and machine guns. The automatic cannon is capable of engaging infantry, armoured vehicles and air targets at a distance of up to four kilometres, Militarnyi, a Ukrainian military media outlet, reports.

On Saturday morning, the president started a working visit to Sweden together with First Lady Olena Zelenska. There, they were expected to meet with Prime Minister Ulf Kristersson, King Charles XVI and Queen Silvia, Speaker of Parliament Andreas Norlén and heads of parliamentary parties.

This is the first visit of the president of Ukraine to Sweden since the beginning of the full-scale Russian invasion in February 2022. At the same time, Ulf Kristersson, Swedish Prime Minister, was in Kyiv this February.