Jamie Spencer
Nordic nation aims to boost Kyiv’s strength in ceasefire talks
Sweden has announced its largest military aid package to date for Ukraine, totaling 16 billion crowns ($1.59 billion), as the country seeks to help Kyiv gain leverage in upcoming ceasefire negotiations to end the war with Russia.
According to Defence Minister Pål Jonson, the aid includes nine billion crowns in new military equipment acquisitions and five billion crowns in financial support for Ukraine’s defense industry. The funds will be disbursed via procurement processes led by the Swedish Defence Materiel Administration.
“We are now at a critical stage of the war,” Jonson said during a press conference. “Our focus is now on supporting Ukraine as much as possible so that they can get into a position of strength during these negotiations.”
Europe urged to step up
Jonson emphasized the need for other European countries to escalate their own military assistance to Ukraine, noting, “More need to do more.”
When asked whether Europe could bear greater responsibility if U.S. support wanes under President Donald Trump’s push for a ceasefire, Jonson responded, “I’m slightly more concerned with the defence industrial production than the financial resources.”
He pointed out that while the EU has an economy eight times the size of Russia’s, peacetime industrial limitations pose a challenge: “If there is a will, there is a way for extensive support.”
Major boost in 2025 defense aid
Sweden has pledged to significantly increase its military assistance to Ukraine, raising the 2025 budget allocation from 25 billion to 40 billion crowns. Including this latest package, Sweden’s total military support since 2022 now amounts to 80 billion crowns.
