Sweden allocates $133 mln to Ukraine to support population in winter - prime minister
Sweden is transferring 1.4 billion kronor ($133 million) to Ukraine, which, among other things, will be used to support the population in the winter.
The new support package was unveiled by Prime Minister Ulf Kristersson and Minister for International Development Cooperation and Foreign Trade Johan Forssell on Monday, according to the website of the Swedish public broadcaster SVG.
“At the moment, this is the largest support within the framework of Swedish bilateral assistance to Ukraine,” Kristersson said at a press conference.
Of this package, 900 million kronor will go to the World Bank's Ukraine Relief, Recovery, Reconstruction and Reform Trust Fund, which supports Ukraine's energy, housing, health and transport infrastructure. In addition, money taken from Sweden's aid budget will be used to purchase heaters and energy equipment. According to Forssell, this is exactly the request that the Ukrainian side made to Sweden.
He also accused the Russian Federation of carrying out “energy terrorism” against Ukraine.
"Russia is deliberately targeting civilian infrastructure to ensure that the civilian population, already under severe strain, will have an even harder time. With this package we want to help Ukraine both build new and rebuild what has been destroyed," Forssell said.
At the same time, Kristersson warned of consequences if EU countries fail to agree on an expanded long-term budget at this week's summit in Brussels.
"I still hope that everything will work out. But I want to emphasize that we are not talking about the usual European disagreements that we sometimes have, because then you will simply have another meeting later, and that will have huge consequences if we won’t agree,” he said.