Sweden's support to Ukraine

At COP28, G7+ countries and Ukraine launched the Clean Energy Partnership, to support the sustainable recovery and reconstruction of Ukraine.

On 1 December, Minister for Health Care Acko Ankarberg Johansson and Minister for Health and Social Affairs Jakob Forssmed will co-host a conference to discuss Sweden’s support to Ukraine’s health and medical care system. The conference, which will convene both public and private sector actors, aims especially to outline how Ukraine’s health care system can be rebuilt, strengthened and modernised.

The education sector in Ukraine has been severely affected by Russia’s full-scale invasion. Since February 2022, more than 3 000 preschools, schools and other educational establishments have been damaged, and 360 have been completely destroyed. Sweden is now providing SEK 75 million to the UNESCO Emergency Fund. The Fund is, among other things, supporting renovation and reconstruction of damaged and destroyed shelters in preschools and schools.

On Friday 13 October, Prime Minister Ulf Kristersson will meet UK Prime Minister Rishi Sunak in Visby to sign a strategic partnership agreement between the UK and Sweden. The two leaders will also discuss security policy issues regarding NATO and the joint support to Ukraine.

On 9–10 October, Minister for Foreign Affairs Tobias Billstrom is taking part in a joint meeting of foreign ministers from EU Member States and Gulf Cooperation Council Member States (GCC) in Oman’s capital, Muscat. In connection with this, Mr Billström will also visit Riyadh for bilateral discussions with his Saudi colleague.

The Government today adopted a proposal for an additional amending budget containing a new support package to Ukraine. The package, which is the fourteenth of its kind, includes artillery shells, spare parts, infantry equipment, communication equipment and Combat Vehicle 90 ammunition, worth around SEK 1.7 billion. The main part of the package regards ammunition and spare parts. In addition, the Government plans to adopt additional measures to supplement the direct materiel support, meaning that this support package will be worth a total of around SEK 2.2 billion. The Government also presented an assignment to the Swedish Armed Forces to analyse and report on the conditions for strengthening Ukraine through JAS 39 Gripen.

On 28 September 2023, Mr Billström is visiting The Hague for talks with Dutch Minister of Foreign Affairs Hanke Bruins Slot. Mr Billström is also planning to visit the International Criminal Court (ICC), which is investigating Russia’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine.

National Statement at the 78th Session of the United Nations General Assembly (UNGA) delivered by Minister for Foreign Affairs Tobias Billström on behalf of Sweden. New York, September 2023 Check against delivery

On 18–26 September, several high-level meetings will be held in connection with the opening of the 78th session of the UN General Assembly (UNGA) at the UN Headquarters in New York. Prime Minister Ulf Kristersson, Minister for Foreign Affairs Tobias Billström, Minister for International Development Cooperation and Foreign Trade Johan Forssell and Minister for Health Care Acko Ankarberg Johansson will attend.

On Friday 1 September, Prime Minister Ulf Kristersson and Minister for Foreign Affairs Tobias Billström received a congressional delegation from the United States House of Representatives. The delegation included members of both the Republican and Democratic parties and was led by Republican Michael McCaul, Chair of the House Foreign Affairs Committee. The visit aimed to follow up on the NATO Summit in Vilnius, Sweden’s forthcoming membership of NATO and the continued support to Ukraine.

Tomorrow, Friday 1 September, Tobias Billström will hold a press briefing together with members of the United States Congress. Alongside the visiting Congress members, Mr Billström will discuss Sweden’s forthcoming NATO membership and the continued support to Ukraine.

The defence ministers of the EU Member States will gather for an informal meeting in Toledo, Spain on 29–30 August. The meeting will focus on EU military support to Ukraine.

On Friday 25 August 2023, Prime Minister Ulf Kristersson will receive Finland’s Prime Minister Petteri Orpo. The meeting will focus on the security situation, including EU support to Ukraine, competitiveness and the green transition. There will be photo opportunities, and a joint press conference will be held in conjunction with the meeting.

On 19 August 2023, Prime Minister Ulf Kristersson received Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy in Sweden. During the visit, several ministers took part in the talks. Mr Zelenskyy and Ms Zelenska were also received by His Majesty The King and Her Majesty The Queen. Mr Kristersson also hosted meetings with the Speaker of the Riksdag, the Supreme Commander of the Armed Forces and all party leaders.

Statement of Intent between the Prime Minister of Sweden and the President of Ukraine on Enhanced Cooperation on the CV90 Platform, made 19 August 2023.

(New version) The Government has provided basis for a new support package to Ukraine. The assistance includes ammunition and spare parts for several of the equipment systems that Sweden has donated to Ukraine, including Combat Vehicle 90 and Battle Tank 122 (Leopard 2). Sweden is also sending transport vehicles, contingency goods and mine clearance equipment. At the same time, the Government also need to obtain authorisation to sell the RB 99 (AMRAAM) air-to-air missiles to the United States, which will then donate them to Ukraine. The total value of this thirteenth support package amounts to approximately SEK 3.4 billion.

Ahead of the anniversary of the August 2020 presidential election in Belarus, the EU is imposing new sanctions in response to the increased domestic repression in the country. The measures are also in response to Belarus’s support for Russia’s aggression against Ukraine.

On 21 June, Minister for International Development Cooperation and Foreign Trade Johan Forssell attended an annual conference on Ukraine’s recovery and reconstruction. The discussions focused on how to facilitate the business sector’s engagement in reconstruction efforts.

The Government has adopted a new strategy for Sweden’s recovery and reform cooperation with Ukraine for 2023–2027. The strategy will provide a total of approximately EUR 522 million (SEK 6 billion) and is Sweden’s largest-ever bilateral development assistance strategy.

On 13 July 2023, the Presidents of Finland and the United States and the Prime Ministers of Denmark, Iceland, Norway, and Sweden met in Helsinki for the third U.S.-Nordic Leaders’ Summit. Building on the previous meetings in the same format, the leaders reconfirmed the strong U.S.-Nordic partnership and the intensifying cooperation between their countries, focusing on security, the environment, technology and society.