STOCKHOLM (Reuters) -Swedish Prime Minister Magdalena Andersson said on Monday Sweden would provide a further 500 million crowns ($46.75 million) in military assistance to Ukraine to help it defend itself against Russia’s invasion.
Andersson told reporters after hosting Ukraine’s Foreign Minister Dmytro Kuleba for talks that her government would provide a total additional aid package of 1 billion crowns, both military and civilian assistance, to Ukraine.
Kuleba called on Sweden to provide the country with weapons such as howitzers and shells. “As long as the war continues, we will be asking for more weapons”,” Kuleba told reporters.
“Every euro, every bullet, every shell matters.”
Sweden’s prime minister did not give details of the military package, but said it would be similar to previous aid which has included anti-tank weapons, personal protective equipment, and mine clearance equipment.
“We will continue to support Ukraine as long as the war is going on,” Andersson said.
The civilian part of the package will include purchases of Ukrainian wheat that will be passed on to countries facing food shortages and help boost Ukraine’s economy.
On Monday, a team from the U.N. nuclear watchdog was heading to Ukraine’s Zaporizhzhia nuclear plant amid worries that repeated shelling in the vicinity could lead to a radiation leak.
Kuleba said Russia was putting the entire world at risk of a nuclear accident. “We should all be united in demanding one thing, the withdrawal of Russia from Zaporizhzhia nuclear power plant,” he said.
($1 = 10.6962 Swedish crowns)
(Reporting by Simon Johnson and Niklas Pollard, editing by Stine Jacobsen)
