Sweden, Denmark, Norway to buy US arms worth $500 mn for Ukraine

STOCKHOLM (AFP): Sweden, Norway and Denmark will donate equipment and munitions worth $500 million to Ukraine, under a new scheme to speed deliveries from American stockpiles, Stockholm said on Tuesday.

The pledge follows the announcement of a 500 million euros ($577 million) donation by the Netherlands to help Kyiv fight off Russia’s invasion, launched in February 2022.

Like the Dutch donation, the purchases will be under the Prioritised Ukraine Requirements List (PURL) mechanism launched by US President Donald Trump and NATO Secretary General Mark Rutte last month.

“Ukraine is not only fighting for its own security, but also for our security,” Swedish Defense Minister Pal Jonson told a press conference.

“That is why Sweden, together with Denmark and Norway, has agreed to contribute to the American initiative to sell defense equipment for donation to Ukraine,” he continued.

The Swedish government said in a statement that the “support will include air defense systems, including munitions to Patriot, anti-tank systems, ammunition and spare parts.”

It added that the Swedish contribution amounted to $275 million.

NATO Secretary General Mark Rutte welcomed the move.

“Since the earliest days of Russia’s full-scale invasion, Denmark, Norway and Sweden have been steadfast in their support for Ukraine. I commend these Allies for their quick efforts to get this initiative off the ground,” Rutte said in a statement.

Sweden, Norway and Denmark will donate equipment and munitions worth $500 million to Ukraine, under a new scheme to speed deliveries from American stockpiles, Stockholm said on Tuesday.