Government to send record support package to Ukraine

The military support package is larger than all the eight previous military materiel support packages combined, and the humanitarian package is the largest sent to date.

“We are now sending a record support package to Ukraine, with both humanitarian and military support. The defence of Ukraine’s freedom is the most crucial foreign policy task of our time,” says Prime Minister Ulf Kristersson.

The new military support package is expected to contain an advanced weapons system for air defence including advanced ammunition, and also advanced ammunition for additional air defence systems, light all-terrain vehicles, personal equipment including winter equipment and body protection, gun laying equipment, tents and camouflage netting.

The contents of the planned military support package amount to a total of about SEK 3 billion. This is SEK 1 billion more than the sum of all previous military materiel support packages combined (about SEK 2 billion).

The new humanitarian and emergency aid support covers Ukraine and Moldova, and amounts to about SEK 720 million. The support is intended to help Ukraine and Moldova get through a winter which by all accounts will be difficult for the countries. It is intended to provide the most vulnerable with access to food, water and sanitation, winter equipment, blankets and heating sources. The support will also help start laying the foundations for the enormous reconstruction of social infrastructure that waits in Ukraine.

The emergency aid package will be paid through well-established partners to Sweden such as the World Food Programme, the World Bank and the Red Cross Movement. This will be done by means of central grants specifically earmarked for initiatives in Ukraine.

The emergency aid will be allocated as follows:

• World Food Programme – SEK 250 million
• World Bank funds for Ukraine and Moldova respectively – SEK 140 million + SEK 40 million
• Nordic Environment Finance Corporation’s Ukraine Green Recovery Programme – SEK 110 million
• Ukrainian and Moldovan Red Cross – SEK 50 million + SEK 20 million
• Mine clearance through the Danish Refugee Council – SEK 10 million
• Energy fund at the donor conference for Moldova – SEK 100 million

Sweden will also continue to support Ukraine within the framework of our membership of the EU. Sweden intends to take part in the upcoming European Union Assistance Mission Ukraine (EUMAM), which will train the Ukrainian armed forces. Sweden is also pushing to ensure that the eight packages of sanctions adopted to date are implemented and respected, and that the EU is able to agree on a ninth sanctions package.

Of great future importance is to ensure the functioning of the solidarity corridors for export of Ukrainian agricultural products. So far, 15 million tonnes of cereals and other agricultural products have been exported. During the upcoming Swedish Presidency of the Council of the EU in the first half of 2023, the Government will give high priority to continuing support to Ukraine and maintaining strong pressure on Russia.