Extra supplementary budget for 2024 - Additional defense materiel and financial support to Ukraine
Translated from Swedish by AI; the translation may contain errors. The Swedish text is the original.
Summary AI, written in advance
1 V wants to continue the sustained support for Ukraine and emphasizes that the current support package strengthens Ukraine's military capability 1. 2 S wants Sweden to send Jas Gripen as soon as possible and issue state guarantees for the production of ammunition 2. 3 SD considers it crucial that Ukraine is given the opportunity to win against Russia in order to protect Europe's defense capability 3. 4 V considers Russia's invasion unacceptable and requires broad, long-term support 4. 5 C considers that Sweden must increase the support and quickly give a promise to send JAS 39 Gripen 5. 6 KD considers that Sweden must give Ukraine the support required for them to win the war 6. 7 MP considers that Sweden should continue to contribute to Ukraine's struggle for self-determination and self-defense 7. 8 L considers it important that the support to Ukraine does not come at the expense of the upgrading of the Swedish defense 8.
Written by AI in advance and may contain errors. The numbers lead to the speech a statement builds on; check against the text below.
Edward Riedl (M)
Madam Speaker! I want to begin by thanking all the parties in the Riksdag that we can continue to have unity regarding the support for Ukraine. The previous government initiated support packages 1-8, and this government has continued with support package 9 through to the 16th, which we are now making a decision on.
This clearly sends an important signal to our friends in Ukraine that we in Sweden will be persistent in our support. But, Madam Speaker, it also sends an important signal to Russia that Ukraine has friends, friends who will continue to stand on Ukraine's side.
Since Russia launched its full-scale invasion of Ukraine on February 24, 2022, Sweden has contributed significant military support but also civilian and in other areas. We have sent everything from protective equipment and ammunition to tanks, artillery, air defense systems, combat boats and much, much more.
Together with the package we are now deciding on, the value of Sweden's total support to Ukraine amounts to over 43 billion kronor. Tomorrow, we will decide on the 16th and so far largest support package, with a value of 13 billion kronor. This support package significantly strengthens Ukraine's military capability, not least through the addition of radar surveillance and command aircraft, as well as through the entire Swedish stock of Pansarbandvagn 302.
Madam Speaker! A few weeks ago, the Committee on Finance visited Ukraine. It was terrifying to see on-site the results of the Russian terror and to see the eyes of people who for over two years now have lived with this terror. They have loved ones who are fighting at the front. Terror bombings occur across all of Ukraine, into all cities. Air raid sirens sound. One leaves children at preschool, and one does not know if one will see them all again when one returns home. It is a terrible suffering that Russia, and ultimately Putin, subjects its neighboring country to.
We visited Maidan. I was there before the war, as I have been in Ukraine as an election observer previously. Maidan is the large peace square. Those of you who have been there know the park opposite; the rest of you can follow along in your imagination. It is an incredibly beautiful park, where they now place a Ukrainian flag for every fallen soldier and write a name on it. The flags are just becoming more and more and now cover the grass on the other side of Maidan. These are the fallen who will never again be able to be there and live a life with their loved ones.
When we left Kiev and headed towards Chelm again, we saw many lined-up ambulances, 40-50 of them, at the train station waiting for the train to arrive from the east with the wounded from the offensive to the east.
I believe that all of this made an incredibly strong impression on all of us who were there. But we were also perhaps even more inspired by the fact that Sweden will continue to stand up for Ukraine's right to exist as a free and democratic country. We will continue to support Ukraine in the country's ambitions to join the European Union and, hopefully, subsequently also Nato.
Madam Speaker! I can admit that I was worried about the trip to Ukraine. I thought it was incredibly difficult on a personal level. Once on site, I did not feel the slightest trace of fear or anything of the sort. When I returned home to Sweden after having spent a few days in this war zone, I felt quite small. In Ukraine, small children go to school. Parents leave children at daycare. They live their lives and continue to fight despite being in a war. It was a great sense of smallness that occurred after we had left Ukraine.
We visited the city of Borodjanka, where Russia during the first days completely leveled a city with over 40,000 inhabitants. We saw people who were still alive. We met the mayor and local politicians and representatives. Here, people were suffocated to death under the rubble. They survived the first bombardment, but there was no one left who could dig people out from the rubble.
When we are inside the Ukrainian Ministry of Finance, the air raid siren sounds, just as I am standing and thanking Ukraine's Minister of Finance Martjenko. It is surreal, and it is still surreal, that this is happening. The air raid siren, which is in apps and on buildings, is quite penetrating.
There is also a voice that warns and says: Do not be overconfident! When I heard that voice for the first time, Madam Speaker, I thought I recognized it. When the air raid siren is over, the same voice returns and says: May the force be with you. Those of you who know your Star Wars already know. It is, therefore, Mark Hamill, the actor who plays Luke Skywalker, the champion of the good, who has lent his voice to Ukraine's air defense and to the air raid siren. He also, together with many others around the world, collects money so that Ukraine can defend itself. If one is on the same side as Luke Skywalker, Madam Speaker, then one knows that one is on the side of the good. It is terror bombing that is occurring inside Ukraine.
I took some things home with me.
Firstly, the Swedish military support is already making a big difference on the ground. Sweden, as a country, is one of the largest donors of military aid.
Secondly, Ukraine's will to defend itself is unwavering. They are prepared for a long war, but they are also prepared to win the war with the support they receive from other countries.
For the third, the collective support from the West to Ukraine needs to both increase and be more persistent. We need to signal a long-term presence.
Against that background, Madam Speaker, it is very pleasing that the government and the Tidö parties have now produced a three-year framework of 25 billion kronor annually. Other countries have also announced similar commitments. It is about showing Ukraine and Russia that we intend to be long-term if the war drags on. We intend to continue to support Ukraine.
As I said, I am glad that all parties stand behind the 16th support package. I intend to bring up a few things, Madam Speaker, which I believe the opposition has raised in specific statements and which they may come to raise from the rostrum. I intend to preempt this.
There are parties that think we should send the Jas Gripen immediately. There will likely be parties and politicians who think we should do more and invest even more money here and now. I thought I would briefly comment on this.
The government continues the work to be able to enable a potential contribution with the Jas Gripen at a later stage. This takes place within the framework of the cooperation within the Air Force Capability Coalition. Why is it then important, Madam Speaker and all of you listening, that this is done in such a way? Yes, because a fighter aircraft is not operational without armament. It is not Swedish weapons that we arm the Jas with, but it is European and American weapons.
A small country like Sweden will not be able to alone provide fighter jets with the required armament. Therefore, any potential deployment of Jas must be done together with other partner countries.
When parts of the opposition say that this government is doing too little, I want to remind you who are listening of what the facts are. The previous government produced support packages 1-8. These involved military support of 2-3 billion kronor, depending slightly on how one counts the cash support. The Tidö parties and Ulf Kristersson's government have produced support packages 9-16, and it is the 16th one we are debating today. Together with the announced ramp-up, this government has decided and promised support of over 90 billion kronor.
With that said, Madam Speaker, I am still very pleased that all parties stand behind the continued ambitions to support Ukraine. Even if the opposition still criticizes the government, I am at least pleased that they want more and not less in the matter of Ukraine.
Madam Speaker! With that, I move for approval of the Finance Committee's proposed decision in the report. I also apologize for exceeding the speaking time slightly.
Eva Lindh (S)
Madam Speaker! Just a hundred miles from here, the war in Ukraine is raging. Russia's illegal and violation of international law invasion is in its third year. Thousands of Ukrainian women and men have had to give their lives. Families have been torn apart, with children who will never meet their parents again. We see evil deeds in Ukraine and a new security policy situation both in Europe and here in Sweden.
Ukraine surprised its aggressor when the people showed their enormous will to fight and strength. They have during all this time - hour by hour, day after day, month after month - fought for their country, for their right to self-determination, for their freedom and for our freedom.
Ukraine is not fighting only for its own sake but for all democracies. We know that Russia's ambitions do not stop at Ukraine. More countries are next in line if Ukraine falls.
The Russian invasion has shown the importance of cooperation and of standing up for democratic values against authoritarian regimes. So far, we have shown that democracy is best defended together. We have sent extensive support packages, both civilian and military. It has been important for Ukraine's ability to withstand the Russian attacks. It is of the utmost importance that the support to Ukraine continues, that we are responsive to what Ukraine needs and that we contribute what we can.
It is therefore important that we have the unity we have in the Riksdag and that we have collectively decided to continue the large and decisive support to Ukraine. The unity is important, and it is important that we also have a long-term perspective. Therefore, it is good that the government raises the issue, and we naturally stand behind this extra supplementary budget. We do, however, have a few amendments that we believe we must also make.
It is important to proceed as soon as possible with sending the Jas Gripen. It is a clear request from Ukraine, and these aircraft would play a major role in Ukraine's fight.
It is important that Sweden takes its responsibility to increase and issue state guarantees for the production of ammunition and other defense materiel for Ukraine, this in order to secure Ukraine's access to materiel while simultaneously ensuring Sweden's defense capability.
It is important that the EU lays the foundation for the massive international and financial support that will be needed to rebuild Ukraine when the war is over.
It is important that there is a plan for reinvestment in the decisions that are made, in order to continue the realignment of Swedish defense policy that was initiated during Stefan Löfven's government and which involves the largest buildup of the military defense since the 1950s.
And again: It is important that we make these decisions together.
Madam Speaker! We have supported Ukraine, and we shall continue to do so - for Ukraine's right to live in peace and make its own decisions. Ukraine defends its own country while simultaneously holding out for our sake. We must not let the Ukrainian people stand alone. We must not betray them. There can be no limit to how long we shall stand by Ukraine's side. Russia must get out of Ukraine.
It is therefore of the utmost importance that the support for Ukraine continues, and therefore we Social Democrats stand behind the government's extra supplementary budget and the support measures that it enables. I move for approval of the committee's proposal.
Charlotte Quensel (SD)
Madam Speaker! I take the opportunity to begin by moving for the approval of the committee's proposed decision in the report and wish the presidium a wonderful summer break. I also want to wish my colleagues in the Finance Committee a nice summer and convey an extra big thank you to our fantastic secretariat.
Madam Speaker! Ukrainians have the right to live in peace, and they have the right to their own country's sovereignty. They have the right to approach the EU, and they have the right to work towards joining Nato. The world's support is crucial for the future of the Ukrainian people. With support, the Ukrainians have the will and the ability to defeat Russia. Without support, the Ukrainians have a nearly impossible task. The support must also be long-term, partly because we see no end, and partly because Russia destroys everything in its path.
We must help to stop the Russians' slaughter of civilians, women who were raped, children who are kidnapped, homes that are bombed to pieces, power supplies that are systematically shut down and so on - the list can be as long as it wants. That Ukraine's neighbors in the west never hesitate in their support is crucial for what Europe we will leave over to our children and grandchildren.
Madam Speaker! Today we are debating the largest support package to date, the 16th since Russia's attack. The value of the support is over 13 billion kronor, and it is part of the long-term agreement we have made within the Tidö group.
All support to Ukraine is provided through cooperation at the international level but primarily through cooperation with Ukraine. Therefore, the main part of this support package consists of air defense equipment, artillery ammunition and armored vehicles.
Sweden's support is designed, among other things, in the so-called fighter jet coalition. It is not we in the Committee on Finance who hold the responsibility, or the knowledge, regarding how we best support the Ukrainian people. Therefore, it is mild to say strange to see the specific statements from the Social Democrats and the Centre Party in the report, where they seem to think they possess better knowledge than the Defense, the Ministry of Defence, Nato, international cooperation for Ukraine, as well as the government. What I am referring to are their writings about the JAS 39 Gripen and the possibility of making these planes available to Ukraine. The opposition is well aware that it is not possible for Sweden to independently and freely decide that Ukraine shall be granted access to the JAS 39 Gripen.
Today, American F-16s are being phased in for Ukraine. Swedish, very potent ASC 890 aircraft will support the F-16s and contribute to significantly increasing the total effectiveness in the defense of Ukraine.
The opposition is also aware and is kept informed that the government continues to work towards potentially supporting with JAS 39 Gripen. The Swedish mission is to increase Ukraine's defense capability in the best possible way, and we do that through cooperation - not by certain parties in the Committee on Finance coming up with their own ideas.
Madam Speaker! Part of our and Europe's defense capability consists of us giving Ukraine the opportunity to win against Russia. Any other outcome is devastating for Europe. If Russia wins, they will continue to arm themselves for new territorial gains. A majority of Russians believe that divide and rule, through warfare and constant war crimes, is justifiable conduct. According to international surveys, Putin still has a clear majority of Russians with him in the war against the Ukrainian people. We need to take such values seriously and realize that the Russians stand far from our view on democracy and peace.
Madam Speaker! At the same time as many of us here at home are preparing for Midsummer together with family, friends and, hopefully, the sun and the warmth, one of Russia's worst war crimes is ongoing; it concerns the kidnapped Ukrainian children. It is estimated that it involves more than 19,000 children who have been taken from Ukraine since February 2022. It is a crime that is inhuman towards both the children and the parents. If the rest of the world does not act forcefully, there is a great risk that these children will be swallowed by Russia forever.
When we here at home dance around the midsummer pole with our children, thousands of Ukrainian parents and children are living in a constantly ongoing nightmare. Every day that the rest of the world does not put pressure on Russia to return the children is a wasted day. Here, the Sweden Democrats wish to see more focus on joint efforts to get Russia to return the children. If we do not act now, many of these children will never be found.
Ilona Szatmári Waldau (V)
Madam Speaker! It has now been more than two years since Russia launched its full-scale invasion of Ukraine. It is a terrible war, with many casualties, shattered families, great destruction with cities and infrastructure bombed to pieces, many refugees and children growing up with war - children in areas near the front who hardly see sunlight and who go to school underground and do not know what it is like to play on a schoolyard.
Russia's invasion, occupation and war are completely unacceptable. They violate international law and must be strongly condemned. The attack is a violation of Ukraine's territorial integrity and sovereignty - not to mention the great human suffering for the Ukrainian people.
Russia's imperialist war against Ukraine requires that the rest of the world supports Ukraine militarily, humanitarily, economically and diplomatically. The military support from Sweden concerns weapons systems, ammunition and training but also equipment that helps soldiers to survive in the field.
Sweden's support for Ukraine and its people is and must be broad and long-term. For example, we here in Sweden must increase the daily allowance for those who have fled both from Ukraine and from other countries. To provide those who have fled from war with a bearable and secure existence in Sweden is also a part of Sweden's support for Ukraine and the Ukrainian people. When the war is over, Sweden shall be an active party in the reconstruction of Ukraine, based on the direction that the Ukrainian population wants to see.
Most of us participating in the debate today visited Ukraine as recently as last month. The first speaker, Edward Riedl, has recounted our experience and the lessons we learned. While we were there, we met, among others, ministers, members of parliament, civil society, and military advisors. We saw and heard with our own eyes and ears what the situation is, what needs exist, and how life continues even during war and occupation. How the residents have taken back their cities and villages after the Russians were defeated, and how destroyed buildings are renovated or rebuilt, shows how the Ukrainian people stand united against the Russian aggressor.
I am impressed by the Ukrainians' resilience and will to defend, and we can learn a lot from the defense, the struggle, and the reality that is unfolding in Ukraine. But I am also saddened by how life is there and by all those who have been killed and injured.
Russia must lose. Ukraine must not be forced to surrender either land or power to Russia. Being able to defend its borders and its population is fundamental for Ukraine to be able to build up and strengthen its democracy and its welfare in the future. Vänsterpartiet stands behind the humanitarian, economic and military support that Sweden sends to Ukraine and condemns the Russian invasion and occupation.
Today we are to make a decision on another support package with additional materiel. The support package is welcome, and it is positive that it is a unanimous Riksdag that stands behind it.
What we in Vänsterpartiet would like, however, is that Sweden and the EU pause ammunition exports to other countries in order to be able to deliver the ammunition Ukraine needs to defend itself against the Russian attack. We also want to see tightened sanctions against Russia and that Sweden and the EU stop feeding Putin's war chest through the purchase of Russian oil and gas. Here, we must be able to go further. Ukraine's debts need to be written off so that the country gets a chance to recover and rebuild what has been destroyed by the war, once it is won.
Martin Ådahl (C)
Madam Speaker! It is extremely good that there is consensus in Sweden regarding supporting Ukraine. But unfortunately, Madam Speaker, there is no consensus on the level of the support. Sweden and the entire EU need to increase the support. And we need to give notice to Ukraine as soon as possible regarding the JAS 39 Gripen.
We need to do this primarily for Ukraine, which is fighting for its freedom, its democracy, and its very existence. But we actually also need to do it for ourselves. Ukraine is today the shield of all free Europe against Putin's tyranny.
During the visit to Ukraine that the Committee on Finance made quite recently, and which many have testified to in a very fine way here today, we were reminded – among the ruins after Putin's terror in Borodynka, among the testimonies from civilians about the crimes against humanity, but also when faced with the unwavering determination to defend their country among the people we met – of the unreasonable advantage in manpower and weapons that Russia has today.
Ukraine's almost inconceivable courage and skill on the battlefield are sufficient today to avoid losing ground, but to truly win and shorten the war's suffering, the Ukrainian people ask us in the West, in the EU and in Sweden for more support. There is much that is urgently needed now: generators, air defense, ammunition, other weapons systems, combat aircraft and much, much more money.
The problem with the support for Ukraine in Sweden is, therefore, not the words. We should be grateful that there is a strong, principled unity behind Ukraine in this chamber. The problem is action. Sweden, with its low national debt and strong military industry, has resources to assist Ukraine more, which also lies strongly in our security interest.
Most of all, this concerns the Jas Gripen. The day Jas flies over Ukraine's blue sky means a significant reinforcement of Ukraine's air defense. The government is currently saying that there is a pause regarding sending Jas, but then Ukraine clarified that they absolutely want the Jas 39 Gripen as soon as possible and that they need to train pilots on the Jas Gripen. Furthermore, it is in itself an easy-to-train plane; in fact, it is known for exactly that.
Then France announced that they are sending Mirage to Ukraine in the near future. Here, there was no pause, on the contrary. Jas, F-16 and Mirage must be able to operate together in Ukraine, just as they do within Nato. It is actually not good that our fighter jet Jas Gripen does not fly in Ukraine.
A decision now regarding Jas would mean that planning could be started now, just as was done for the F-16. Training of pilots can be initiated simultaneously with the formation of a solid and long-term capacity for repair and logistics. If the government had already started a planning a year ago that ensures the entirety of such support, we would be ready now.
The government must now do everything to shorten the waiting time until it becomes possible to send Jas, more diplomatically and planning-wise, so that we can do so as soon as possible. Time is Ukraine's enemy, as Zelenskyy himself expressed it. It has taken too long - unnecessarily long. While we discuss, the lives of Ukrainians are sacrificed for their and our freedom. There is no pause there.
Centerpartiet therefore proposes that the government now gives this promise - an unambiguous Jas-option. The Ukrainians should not have to wait any longer because we have not taken sufficient measures for the training of pilots, repair, and logistics.
Then we think it is strange that when one finally establishes a defense fund for long-term perspective and predictability at at least one percent of GDP - just the type of defense fund that Centerpartiet has demanded for a very long time - the support is divided into 25 billion per year. In practice, the support is pushed into the future.
What is the point of the last 25 billion being planned to arrive in 2026, when the war is hopefully over? Why don't we just say, like Denmark and other countries, that the sum is available here and now, to guarantee as many deliveries as can be made now, for predictability and continuity in Ukraine's great moments of need?
As it is now, it is too little and too late. Just over 1 percent of our GDP over three years means that Sweden still lags far behind our Nordic and Baltic neighbors. The G7 countries and the EU have jointly just decided to pledge the frozen assets in the West to set up a fund to be made available to Ukraine as soon as possible, corresponding to at least 530 billion kronor. May Sweden, in a similar fashion, Madam Speaker, be able to deliver what we can bilaterally, as a country!
Sweden must stand at the forefront in Europe in support of Ukraine - at the very forefront, with countries like Estonia and Denmark, not in the middle or halfway - and lead Europe. We must do everything required for Ukraine to win this war.
Hans Eklind (KD)
Madam Speaker! "Either international law applies, or it is the perpetrators of violence and the capital of violence that set boundaries for countries." The phrasing is not my own, but it is a quote from Sweden's Deputy Prime Minister, my own party leader, Ebba Busch. She said it during the past weekend when she represented Sweden at the major peace summit in Switzerland.
For this international law to apply, Sweden, together with other countries, must provide Ukraine with the support required for them to win the war that Putin started when Russia invaded Ukraine on 24 February 2022. Today we are debating the 16th support package, the largest Swedish military support package since Russia's invasion.
Madam Speaker! Some members of the Committee on Finance have recently visited Ukraine. I still think it is difficult to try to capture with words what we saw, heard and experienced. While Ukraine fights for its survival and existence, the population tries to live their lives, but they do so with a constant worry for loved ones who are fighting at the front, but also worry for their own part. The alarms signaling air raids have become a part of everyday life. Just this year, the Russians have carried out over 110 airstrikes. That was the figure we received when we were there, and we know that they have carried out more since then. They have also fired at least 1,500 missiles.
With the terror bombing that is occurring, it is not surprising that Ukraine has requested support, not least for a stronger air defense. Sweden has donated several air defense systems. In the package that we are debating today, there is also a transfer of two aircraft for airborne radar surveillance and command, ASC 890 or "Asken", as they are called. It will make the Ukrainian air defense against the Russian terror bombing much more effective. The aircraft will, among other things, make it possible for Ukraine to receive warnings more quickly when Russian missiles and drones are fired.
Madam Speaker! At the end of May, the government and the coalition partner Sverigedemokraterna announced that they had agreed on a three-year framework for military support to Ukraine, with a floor of 25 billion per year until 2026. A few days later, on May 31, Zelenskyy was here, and together with our Prime Minister Ulf Kristersson, he signed an agreement on bilateral security cooperation between Sweden and Ukraine.
Madam Speaker! At the peace summit in Switzerland, our Vice Prime Minister also said this: "A united world must be stronger than a single aggressor. What is at stake is international law and whether it is international law or violence that shall set a country's borders." I have previously said and say it again: It is a strength that we have a unity regarding the support for Ukraine here in the Swedish Riksdag.
I know that I speak for all of us who were in Kyiv, Ukraine's beautiful capital, and visited Independence Square, Maidan, where we saw an endless number of small Ukrainian flags waving there. Each one represented a life that was lost when they defended their freedom and their sovereignty. Then it crawled under the skin of us all.
This war must come to an end. Therefore, Sweden must not and shall not yield a single millimeter from our position to support the Ukrainian women and men who, with their lives at stake, defend their territory and their country's existence. We shall quickly, but also persistently, ensure that Ukraine receives the support required to win this war.
I move for approval of the Committee on Finance's proposal to say yes to the 16th support package from Sweden to Ukraine.
Emma Berginger (MP)
Madam Speaker! Russia's brutal and full-scale war of aggression against Ukraine continues with unabated force. It has been ongoing for more than two years and continues to claim more and more victims. But the aggressor Putin has not changed his objectives. He believes that he has time on his side. We must show that our endurance is greater.
Madam Speaker! Russia does not respect the laws of war, and the number of war crimes only grows with each passing day. They target civilian objects, torture prisoners of war and rape women. They have abducted thousands of children, who are separated from their parents and forced to grow up under unclear conditions. Russia deliberately transforms these children in order to undermine their Ukrainian identity.
It is important that we as members see and pay attention to what is happening in Ukraine. It is good to hear that the Committee on Finance has also had the opportunity to visit Ukraine in the same way that we in the Committee on Defence and also the Committee on Foreign Affairs have been able to do previously – that we can see and hear with our own eyes and can bear witness to what is happening in Ukraine. I believe that it helps us to find the unity that we have, of course, had until now and which I hope we will also have in the future when it comes to the support for Ukraine.
For us in Miljöpartiet, it is clear that Sweden should contribute to Ukraine's struggle for self-determination and self-defense. Miljöpartiet supports that Sweden continues to help Ukraine with both weapons and humanitarian aid as well as civil and financial support. We have stood behind all support packages to Ukraine that the government has presented. At the same time, we have requested that the government present a plan for how Sweden can support Ukraine in the long term. It is good that the government has now come out with a three-year support, but three years is not a particularly long time in this context. We need to stand behind Ukraine both until Putin loses the war and until the country is rebuilt and secure.
That we help Ukraine defend itself against the aggressor Putin is important for the security, democracy, and freedom of the whole of Europe. If Putin's crimes were to pay off, it would have a decisive significance for the view on international law and risk affecting many conflicts around the world. We therefore need to continue our support for Ukraine, individually and together with other countries. We must continue to safeguard human rights, international law, and peace on just terms.
Swedish security is closely intertwined with security throughout Europe. Therefore, it is important that we stick together and have a united front against Putin. An attack against a country in Europe is an attack against the security of all of Europe, and an attack against a democratic country is an attack against democracy everywhere.
Miljöpartiet welcomes the government's extra supplementary budget, which means that we are providing additional materiel and financial support to Ukraine. I therefore move for approval of the proposal in the report.
I am grateful that we in the Swedish Riksdag stand united in our support for Ukraine; we demand that the war ends, that war crimes are investigated and those responsible are held accountable, and that Ukraine shall continue to be a free and independent country.
But we could have done more. For example, we are still buying Putin's fossil fuels. More than two years into the war, ships with Russian gas continue to arrive in Sweden. We cannot with one hand support Ukraine in its fight against Putin's invasion and with the other hand pay his war chest. If Ukraine is to win the war and reach peace, we must all do everything we can. By that, I mean everything. It is not enough to buy any Russian fuel. Everything must be stopped.
Ukraine needs continued support, not least with materiel and ammunition, to be able to continue to defend itself. But then an industrial policy is also needed for increased production of ammunition. During the course of the war, the industrial dimension in the conflict has become increasingly clear. The consumption of materiel, primarily ammunition, is very extensive. From the Russian side, production within the defense industry is increasing, while at the same time Ukraine has very large needs for continued deliveries.
That is why the Green Party, just like the Social Democrats, want the government to do more so that the Swedish defense industry can contribute to ensuring that Ukraine receives the materiel it needs. We want the government to push the issue of state guarantees for the production of ammunition and military materiel aimed at Ukraine, both in Sweden and in the EU and other international forums. It is unfortunate that the government has rejected these proposals.
We also have the question of the Jas Gripen. We mean that the government needs to do more to support Ukraine with air defense capabilities. We know that this issue is complex, but Ukraine needs the Gripen for its air defense. In that case, it is a matter of finding solutions to the challenges that exist. Yes, there are challenges with the need for ground service. Yes, there are challenges with the need for trained pilots. Then take on those problems! This is not a short-term need. Ukraine has a long-term need for air defense capabilities. There, Sweden can do more, Madam Speaker.
Cecilia Rönn (L)
Madam Speaker! Today we shall speak about the government's proposal to the Riksdag regarding a 16th support package to Ukraine, the largest so far, worth 13.3 billion kronor. The support package focuses on Ukraine's priority needs, which are air defense, ammunition, and armored vehicles. This support package adds a new capability to Ukraine's airborne defense and increases Ukraine's military capacity, as my colleagues before me have explained. The important thing about this 16th support package is that it occurs within the framework of what Ukraine has said they need in the international collaborations that exist to support Ukraine.
Madam Speaker! In addition to this individual support package, we have recently presented that we have agreed on a long-term framework for Ukraine to ensure long-term support. This constitutes a baseline of a total of 75 billion kronor until 2026, with 25 billion as a base each year. This is very important, and I am proud that we are doing what we can to continue to support Ukraine in the best way until they win the war. Then there will come a period where we continue our commitment to help them rebuild their country.
Even among the Swedish people, there is a great consensus that we should continue to support Ukraine as long as it is needed. At the same time, it is important that we at home continue the plan for rearmament that we have begun, and that the support for Ukraine does not come at the expense of the rearmament of the Swedish defense or push out other important investments and reforms that need to be made in Sweden. Therefore, it is good that this is now happening in the way that the Liberalerna have proposed: by the support becoming a deviation from the surplus goal.
Madam Speaker! Just as my colleagues have told, some of us from the Committee on Finance were in Ukraine in early May. We had received an invitation to visit our colleagues to get more information about their needs and challenges and the measures they are taking. It was incredibly clear that the determination of those we met was great. They will win the war and become members of the European Union, and they are working hard to achieve these two goals in parallel.
I am deeply impressed by their resilience and by the fact that, while fighting a war on several fronts, they maintain their state apparatus and attempt to improve it. The trains run on time, the mail is delivered, and houses and roads are built. They have control over their economy, and their GDP is increasing.
We also visited the Kyiv School of Economics, which since the outbreak of war during the period of Russia's terror has expanded its educational places by several hundred people to meet the needs that must be met for Ukraine to be able to become members of the EU. They have built classrooms in shelters, and they have, through international aid, made it possible for many to now study there with the help of scholarships.
But of course, there are great challenges that need to be solved for Ukraine to be able to become a member of the EU. Sweden is an important partner, and we shall help Ukraine with this in the best possible way as much as we can and as soon as we can.
The war costs an incredible amount both in money and human lives. Tragedies occur every day. Loved ones never come home again. People are wounded and suffer lifelong consequences. Destruction of human lives, lifelong sorrows for those who survive, and enormous material destruction were such things we witnessed when we visited Kyiv and other places in Ukraine.
Madam Speaker! Despite Ukraine's incredible defensive capability and resilience, it is absolutely existential that the support from the West continues to come continuously and in the long term. Therefore, it is so important that we, together with other countries in Europe, show that we stand united, that we use our collective muscles to give Ukraine the muscles to push Russia out of its territory. We must give Ukraine financial and military muscles and at the same time contribute in the ways we can so that they can become a part of the European Union as soon as possible.
It is an existentially important issue in so many ways, and therefore it is so good that we in the Swedish Riksdag are in agreement on this support package. This is an issue that is much larger than the differences between our parties. It is an issue that can unite us, where we as a nation show that we stand behind Ukraine in their struggle for freedom for as long as needed and that we are an important voice in Europe and the world. We show through our actions that we mean what we say for our common peace, freedom, and democracy.
With that, I move for approval of the government bill on the extra supplementary budget for support to Ukraine.
The deliberation was hereby concluded.
Source: The Swedish Parliament. The speeches come from the open data of the Riksdag, translated into English by AI, which may contain errors.