Sweden has announced a new military aid package to Ukraine worth 16 billion Swedish kronor (about 1.6 billion dollars), the largest so far from the Stockholm government. The contribution responds to Ukrainian requests in strategic areas such as air defense, artillery, satellite communications, and maritime capabilities.
With this latest measure, Swedish support for Ukrainian defense for 2025 alone rises to 29.5 billion kronor. Since 2022, Sweden has allocated a total of about 80 billion kronor (over 7.5 billion dollars) in military aid.
“We are intensifying the support, increasing its scope and strength. The situation in Ukraine is very serious,” said Defense Minister Pål Jonson during a press conference in Stockholm. “Russia has the initiative on the ground, and we must support Ukraine so that it can reverse this trend.”
The government has also proposed to advance part of the funds planned for 2026, bringing the total aid for next year to 40 billion kronor. “The message is clear: more countries need to do more. It is time for Europe to significantly increase its support for Ukraine,” Jonson added.
Purchases and supplies: focus on short timelines and industrial capacity
The Swedish Defense Materiel Administration will use about 9.2 billion kronor from the new package to purchase equipment to donate to Ukraine, taking into account production and delivery times. Priorities include ammunition, air defense systems, satellite communications, armored vehicles, light combat boats, and infantry equipment.
Another 500 million kronor will be directly taken from the reserves of the Swedish Armed Forces, including machine guns and small-caliber ammunition. Additionally, over 5 billion kronor will be channeled through multilateral funds and international coalitions, including enhanced collaboration with the Ukrainian defense industry.
According to the minister, about 70% of the announced aid will be deliverable during 2025.
The Netherlands also increases support
In parallel, the Dutch government has announced the launch of a new package worth 500 million euros (about 541 million dollars) aimed at a specific program for the development and supply of drones for Ukraine. The initiative is part of an accelerated support plan of 2 billion euros for 2025, which will also include air defense systems, ammunition, and maritime equipment.
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