Sweden announces €1.5 billion in military aid for Ukraine

Kinshasa, April 1^st, 2025 (CPA) – The Swedish government has announced on Monday, during a press conference, the granting of 16 billion kronor (1.5 billion euros) in military aid to Ukraine, according to the international media. « We are announcing military aid of 16 billion kroner, or 1.5 billion euros, to Ukraine. The Sweden’s military aid given in 2025 reaches 29 billion crowns or 2.7 billion euros », has declared Pal Jonson, Swedish Minister in charge of Defence. « We want to send out the message that we are stepping up our support and increasing its strength and scope, » he has added. According to the Swedish minister in charge of defence, there are good reasons for doing so in view of the very serious situation in Ukraine. « Today, we are committed to support Ukraine as much as possible so that it can be in a strong position during the negotiations for a cessation of fighting, » he has pointed out, adding that the major part of this aid programme, i.e. nine billion kroner, will be used to acquire new equipment, mainly from the Swedish but also the European defence industrial base. « The materials will be selected according to Ukraine’s needs, and around five billion kronor will go to the Ukrainian defence industry and various funds. Lastly, half a billion will be donated from existing stocks in the Swedish armed forces », has explained Pal Jonson. As a reminder, Sweden has granted around 80 billion kronor to Ukraine since the start of the conflict in February 2022. And its biggest support programme since the start of the conflict, at the end of January, when it unveiled its 18th aid programme, the government had explained that it was moving from donating weapons from stockpiles to purchasing new weapons. At the beginning of March, Sweden has declared that it would donate 18 of its Archer mobile artillery systems, which it developed itself, to Ukraine, and that it had already donated eight of these systems to Ukraine. It has already sent 50 of its CV90 armoured fighting vehicles and « around ten » Leopard 2 tanks, as well as anti-aircraft missile systems.