Sweden to Provide New Military Aid Package to Ukraine Worth Nearly €290 Million
The Swedish government is preparing its thirteenth aid package for Ukraine, totaling almost 290 million euros. This announcement was made by the Minister of Defense of the Scandinavian country, Pål Johnson. According to him, the government plans to offer Ukraine a military support package worth 3.4 billion Swedish kronor (approximately 287 million euros), as reported by SVT.
This package will encompass ammunition and components for the Stridsfordon 90 and Archer systems, as well as vehicles and equipment for demining purposes. The Minister expressed gratitude to the political parties in the Swedish parliament for their constructive dialogue regarding the approval of this package and expressed hope that the Riksdag will endorse this initiative within this week.
"The counteroffensive of Ukraine is currently in an active phase. We need to be prepared for the possibility that this could be a protracted conflict, and we must also have a long-term perspective to support the platforms and systems we are sending," stated Pål Johnson.
The Minister also emphasized the importance of supporting Ukraine's anti-aircraft defense. With this aim, Sweden plans to sell AMRAAM "air-to-air" missiles to the United States, which will later be transferred to Ukraine.
"It is incredibly important for the Ukrainians that the Russians do not gain dominance in the air and that the Armed Forces of Ukraine have a robust anti-aircraft defense system," noted the Swedish Defense Minister.
Pål Johnson acknowledged that after providing this aid, the readiness of the Swedish army might experience a short-term decrease, but urgent measures will be taken by the government to swiftly restore the current level of preparedness.
"According to assessments, the Swedish Defense Forces can manage this within a limited time frame. It is crucial to effect replacement as swiftly as possible. We are allocating 3.4 billion kronor from the state for this purpose, in order not to affect long-term defense capabilities," said the Minister.
Recently, at the end of June, the Swedish government also introduced a new aid package for Ukraine, dedicated to humanitarian needs and reconstruction, amounting to 380 million Swedish kronor, equivalent to 32.51 million euros.
It's worth noting that Sweden is set to become the 32nd member of NATO. All member countries of the Alliance supported this decision, except for Turkey and Hungary, which have delayed ratification of the relevant documents due to political considerations.