Sweden’s government expresses concern that several EU countries may reduce their own support for Ukraine after the union has now approved a massive aid package of 1 trillion kronor to Ukraine. This is something the Swedish government cannot accept, and it will spend time during the NATO meeting in Helsingborg campaigning for member countries to continue donating money in parallel.
The European Commission said earlier this week that the first installment of the union’s large support loan to Ukraine is expected to be paid out as early as June. This is a substantial economic package of 90 billion euros, equivalent to around 1 trillion Swedish kronor, aimed at strengthening Ukraine’s economy and military during the war, which has entered its fifth year since Russia’s invasion in 2022.
According to the EU’s Economic Commissioner Valdis Dombrovskis, the first payment will amount to 3.2 billion euros, equivalent to nearly 35 billion kronor.
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The financing is provided through loans, which means that EU taxpayers will bear both the interest costs and the economic risk if Ukraine is unable to repay the money. At the same time, the support is considered essential for Ukraine to maintain its government spending and cover its ongoing expenses during the war.
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During the ongoing NATO foreign ministers’ meeting in Helsingborg, Foreign Minister Maria Malmer Stenergard went public to sharply criticize EU and NATO member countries that are not prepared to contribute more support to Ukraine.
There are member countries that have started signaling cuts in their own contributions to Ukraine – after the EU’s major loan package to Kyiv was secured earlier this spring.
M-Minister: “I am afraid”
This is a development that the Swedish government does not accept – especially considering that Sweden itself has already sent support to Ukraine equivalent to 128 billion kronor and has also decided on further substantial assistance going forward.
– I’m afraid that quite a few countries are leaning back and referring to this instead of maintaining their bilateral support, which comes on top of the loan, says Foreign Minister Maria Malmer Stenergard (M) to TT.
Campaigning for More Support at NATO Meeting
According to the foreign minister, international commitments to Ukraine so far this year amount to about 33 billion kronor. That is lower than last year’s level, when support reached around 40 billion kronor. This is a development Maria Malmer Stenergard wants to change.
Sweden now hopes that a German initiative will gain more traction among EU countries. The proposal means that member states continue to contribute with national support measures in addition to the EU’s joint loan, rather than replacing them. This is also something Maria Malmer Stenergard will spend time campaigning for during the NATO meeting in Helsingborg this week.