Sweden's support to Ukraine

At the meeting of NATO Defence Ministers in Brussels on 5 June, member countries’ defence ministers agreed on new capability targets for the Alliance. In conjunction with the meeting, Swedish Minister for Defence Pål Jonson also signed a number of agreements on behalf of Sweden.

The Government has instructed the Swedish Armed Forces to contribute SEK 550 million to NATO’s support to Ukraine.

Today, the Government has called for nominations for a new annual award to highlight non-governmental Swedish civilian projects for Sweden. Every year, a Swedish organisation and an individual or a group of individuals who have voluntarily undertaken extraordinary projects for Ukraine will receive this award. The recipient will also receive funds to continue their efforts.

On 22 May, the Government instructed the Swedish Armed Forces to provide economic donations to multilateral funds and initiatives aimed at strengthening Ukraine’s defence capability. These donations total approximately SEK 4.8 billion.

A new Swedish initiative to get Ukrainian products in Swedish shops has been presented by representatives of the Swedish Food Retailers Federation, together with Minister for International Development Cooperation and Foreign Trade Benjamin Dousa. The initiative aims to provide Swedish consumers’ increased access to Ukrainian products and opportunities to support Ukraine at the grocery store.

On 20 May, EU defence ministers will meet in Brussels within the framework of the EU Foreign Affairs Council. The meeting will focus on continued EU support to Ukraine and strengthening EU defence readiness and preparedness. Minister for Defence Pål Jonson will represent Sweden at the meeting.

Debate article by Prime Minister Ulf Kristersson, Minister for Foreign Affairs Maria Malmer Stenergard and EU Minister Jessica Rosencrantz in Dagens Industri, 8 May 2025. Originally in Swedish.

On Tuesday 6 May, Prime Minister Ulf Kristersson received Iceland’s President Halla Tómasdóttir for bilateral talks at Rosenbad. The meeting took place in connection with Ms Tómasdóttir’s three-day State Visit at the invitation of HM The King.

On 6–7 May, Minister for Defence Pål Jonson will travel to Rovaniemi in northern Finland to take part in the Nordic Defence Cooperation (NORDEFCO) defence ministers meeting.

Russia’s full-scale war against Ukraine continues with unabated intensity, bringing serious consequences for civilians. Russian propaganda continues to spread the false narrative of a strong and resilient economy. On behalf of the Swedish Government, the Stockholm Institute of Transition Economics (SITE) drafted a report in late 2024 concerning economic developments in Russia. The report highlighted the unreliability of Russian statistics, and that the country’s economy is not performing as well as its statistics suggest. SITE has now published a follow-up report, and Minister for Finance Elisabeth Svantesson has met with Director of SITE Torbjörn Becker to discuss the Russian economy and the report’s conclusions.

On Tuesday 22 April, Prime Minister Ulf Kristersson hosted a bilateral meeting with Lithuania’s Prime Minister Gintautas Paluckas at Sager House. The meeting was followed by a joint press conference at Rosenbad.

The Swedish Government has presented its largest military support package to Ukraine to date, valued at almost SEK 16 billion. Ukraine has requested capabilities related to air defence, artillery, satellite communication, and naval capabilities. Together with the support package announced earlier this year, Swedish support to Ukraine amounts to approximately SEK 29.5 billion in 2025. Sweden’s military support since 2022 thus totals about SEK 80 billion.

On 1–3 April, Minister for Defence Pål Jonson will visit Poland. On 1 April, Mr Jonson will participate in a formal ceremony for the Swedish contribution to Air Policing. On 2 April, Mr Jonson will take part in a high-level conference on the White Paper on the future of European defence, and on 2–3 April, Mr Jonson will represent Sweden at the informal meeting of EU defence ministers.

The Government has tasked the Swedish Armed Forces with making disbursements to the capability coalitions in the demining and drone areas within the Ukraine Defence Contact Group (UDCG) framework. This SEK 80 million in support is part of the 18th military support package to Ukraine.

On Wednesday 26 March, Minister for Defence Pål Jonson will travel to Paris for bilateral talks with France’s Minister of the Armed Forces Sébastien Lecornu.

On Tuesday 25 March, Minister for Defence Pål Jonson will travel to London for bilateral talks with the United Kingdom’s Secretary of State for Defence John Healey.

Today, 13 March, Minister for International Development Cooperation and Foreign Trade Benjamin Dousa has announced that Sweden will increase development assistance to Ukraine by more than SEK 1.4 billion with the aim of strengthening Ukraine’s resilience and recovery.

The Government has authorised the Swedish Defence Materiel Administration (FMV) to procure 18 Archer artillery units for donation to Ukraine. FMV will also procure five Arthur counter battery fire radar units for Ukraine. Sweden will also support Ukraine´s industrial base through the Danish initiative. The Government also intends for Sweden to participate in the artillery coalition of the Ukraine Defense Contact Group (UDCG). The total value of the artillery package is approximately SEK 3 billion and is part of Sweden’s 18th military support package to Ukraine.

Sweden will contribute an additional SEK 100 million to Ukraine via the World Bank. The support, which will help the reconstruction and upcoming necessary infrastructure projects, was presented during World Bank President’s visit to Stockholm on 6–7 March.

The Government has submitted a bill to the Riksdag regarding Sweden’s participation in an air defence operation to protect and maintain the security of military and civil support to Ukraine. Sweden will also contribute to enhanced Air Policing, NATO’s strengthened airspace surveillance, in Poland in mid-2025.