Sweden Sends Billions to the US to Support Ukraine

The government announced on Thursday that Sweden is sending an additional SEK 12.9 billion in a military aid package to Ukraine. This is a cause for celebration on the other side of the Atlantic, as a significant portion of Swedish taxpayers’ money ends up in the US.

This is the twenty-first aid package, the third largest, to Ukraine since the large-scale Russian invasion of the country in February almost four years ago. In total, Sweden has sent SEK 128 billion to Ukraine since February 2022, according to the government’s own figures.

At a press conference on Thursday, Defense Minister Pål Jonson (M) explained that there is a “framework” for Ukraine support of a total of SEK 40 billion for 2026. This means a further SEK 27 billion will be sent to the country before the end of the year.

“Sweden is one of the countries that supports Ukraine the most in all international comparisons,” said Pål Jonson during the press conference.

Ends Up in the US

The Swedish multibillion investment in the war in Ukraine is also ringing in cash for Donald Trump in the White House. The reason is that about a billion of the money now being allocated ends up in the US.

This concerns something called the Prioritised Ukraine Requirements List (PURL). PURL is a list of American weapons that Ukraine has requested, and which the US has agreed to send to the country.

But nothing comes for free. Since the change of administration in Washington just over a year ago, American support for the war-torn country has been reduced to virtually zero.

However, the US is more than willing to send weapons to Ukraine – if European taxpayers pay for them. This has given the American government the opportunity to make billions off old weapons that its own military wants to replace.

This is what PURL is all about. Since the summer, Sweden has participated in the PURL initiative and is one of the countries contributing the most money to it.

Guaranteeing Billion Loans

In addition to the nearly SEK 13 billion invested in sending more weapons to the war, the Swedish government also plans to guarantee a loan of an additional SEK 2.5 billion to Ukraine.

Volodymyr Zelensky and Pål Jonson. Photo: Government of Ukraine

The idea is that the World Bank will grant the loan, while Sweden acts as guarantor. The money will, among other things, be used to pay pensions, salaries for public employees, and benefits for Ukrainians with low incomes.

“Four years of full-scale war have passed, and Ukraine needs all our support – military, humanitarian, financial, and energy-related. I am proud that Sweden in this way can contribute to Ukraine’s economic stability. It is an important investment in the country’s resilience and security, as well as in Europe’s and Sweden’s security,” says Minister for International Development Cooperation and Foreign Trade Benjamin Dousa in a press release.

All Tidö parties; the Moderates, Christian Democrats, Liberals, and Sweden Democrats; support the guarantee commitment.

Praises Ukrainian Counteroffensive

During Thursday’s press conference, Pål Jonson also took the opportunity to praise Ukrainian successes at the front in Zaporizhzhia. For months, the defense of this part of the front had been described as chaotic, with Russians able to advance alarmingly fast with relatively small forces.

Just before New Year’s, Russia claimed it had captured Huliaipole – a city the size of Mora or Ronneby in Sweden. However, it took over a month before Western sources also reported that the city had been taken.

In recent weeks, however, Ukrainian defenders have, belatedly, managed to launch a counteroffensive. Larger resources have been deployed to push the Russians back and attempt to retake Huliaipole.

And it is this initiative that is being praised by the Swedish government.

“It is among the largest territorial gains made since 2023,” said the Swedish defense minister.

Watch the entire press conference here: