Sweden pledges $1.2bn in military aid to Ukraine
- 30 January, 14:42
Sweden on Thursday pledged an additional $1.2 billion in military aid package to Ukraine, bringing the country’s overall military support to Kyiv to $5.6 billions since Russia’s full-fledged invasion in February 2022. Announcing the aid package, Defence minister Pal Jonson said in a press conference on Thursday that the new bundle was a sign that Sweden’s commitment to support Ukraine in the “long term.”
“This is also a signal to our other allies that we need to prepare for Europe to take more responsibility for supporting Ukraine,” Jonson said. Totalling 13.5 billion kronor ($1.2 billion) the latest aid package is the country’s 18th since 2022, was the largest to date. The previous military aid package announced in November was worth $287 million.
The defence minister said Sweden was moving from donating weapons from stockpiles to purchasing new arms. He added that the government was negotiating with suppliers in Sweden and Europe to provide Ukraine with artillery and drones and other prioritized equipment.
The package announced on Thursday includes one billion kronor allocated for Ukraine’s production of “long-range missiles and long-distance drones,” the government said. It also includes donations worth 3.3 billion kronor ($300 million) from the Swedish Armed Forces, including 16 of Sweden’s Combat Boat 90, doubling the amount of such boats donated to Ukraine.
Earlier in January, Sweden pledged delivery of Archer self-propelled howitzers to Ukraine to help Kyiv counter Russian invasion. Swedish Foreign Minister Tobias Billström said that the Archer systems are being donated because Kyiv “clearly requested” them. Earlier, it was reported that Sweden had offered supplying Ukraine with 12 of its 48 Archer 155-millimeter howitzers.
