The Swedish government pledged six billion kronor ($586 million) in aid on Monday in order to reconstruct Ukraine and support reforms that will help it become an EU member.
AFP reported that according to Minister of International Development Cooperation, Johan Forsell, the funds which will be dispersed between 2023 and 2027 are a component of a recently created aid policy created especially for Ukraine.
Forsell stated during a press conference that “this is the largest and most ambitious bilateral strategy Sweden has ever developed and that “additional specifically directed investments” will be made in addition to this.
The policy, according to Forsell, would not only aim to reconstruct the country, but also enact changes that would open the door for its ultimate enlargement into the European Union.
“In the long run, we want to see two blue and yellow flags flying in Kyiv. The European and the Ukrainian” declared Forsell.
He added that the money would be used, among other things, to support the development of Ukrainian institutions and infrastructure, including the healthcare system as well as help Ukraine migrate to more environmentally friendly technology and enhance its access to fossil-free energy.
“Additionally, efforts would be made to strengthen free trade, entrepreneur freedom, transparency, and the fight against corruption in the Ukrainian economy.”
He claimed that Sweden had already committed to providing 4.7 billion kronor in humanitarian and civic assistance, in addition to around 17 billion kronor in military assistance, since the Russian invasion of Ukraine in February 2022.
