Sweden will allocate 729 million Swedish krona (approximately $68 million) in military aid to Ukraine, Stockholm announced on Oct. 28.
The announcement came as the leaders of several Nordic countries convened in Iceland for the fourth Ukraine-Northern Europe Summit, during which President Volodymyr Zelensky held talks with the prime ministers of Iceland, Sweden, Denmark, Norway, and Finland.
Of the total $68 million, about $46.5 million will go towards initiatives supporting Ukraine's Armed Forces, the Swedish government said. Another $21.6 million will support the development of the Ukrainian defense industry.
The first portion of the funds may be directed towards a number of coalitions established to support Ukraine's military, including those dedicated to fighter jets, maritime security, mine clearance, and IT.
The remaining $21.6 million is allocated for defense industry development under the "Danish model,"a mechanism based on a Danish-Ukrainian agreement that donates arms to Kyiv via direct purchases from the Ukrainian defense industry.
Ukraine produced 18 Bohdana howitzers earlier this year via financing from the Danish model.
Sweden officially joined NATO in March 2024 after a lengthy application process triggered by Russia's full-scale invasion of Ukraine. Upon entering the alliance, Sweden was immediately vocal in its calls for other member states to do more to support Kyiv.
The Swedish government announced in May that it plans to allocate 75 billion Swedish krona ($7 billion) in military support to Ukraine from 2024 to 2026.
Sweden on Sept. 9 announced a package worth $443 million that included combat boats, anti-tank weapons, ammunition, and Gripen jet spare parts.
The Swedish Defense Ministry said at the time that transferring Gripen jets to Ukraine is currently "not a viable option, as it would interfere with the prioritized introduction of F-16 fighters," but that Stockholm is continuing its efforts to establish the conditions to send Gripen jets to Kyiv in the future.
Asami Terajima
