If Ukraine gets Gripen then they get access to an air platform that can fire the best air to air missile in the world.
Meteor is deadly.
They could use F-16's in the SEAD/DEAD/bomb truck role whilst using the Gripens to shoot down russian jets and helicopters from extreme range.
Their nation is spending something like half its budget if not more on defence, they can manage a few dozen jets.
Besides, they'll have to phase out their soviet era jets at some point because of the sheer age of them soon. Those Su-24 etc airframes are probably in rough shape by this point.