Extra supplementary budget for 2025 - Further support for Ukraine

Edward Riedl (M)

Madam Speaker! Russia under Putin's regime is no longer a country among others. Instead of building prosperity for its own population and participating in the work of building a better world for the benefit of humanity, it threatens and attacks its peaceful neighboring countries.

For three years now, a full-scale war of aggression has been waged in Ukraine. Today, the former president of Russia, now vice-chairman of the Russian Security Council, threatens Sweden and Finland and other newly joined NATO members with retaliatory attacks with nuclear weapons. Such is the behavior of a rogue state that does not want to build peace and prosperity for its own and other populations. Such is the behavior of a rogue state that has no respect for human life.

Madam Speaker! Imagine if humanity could take all the enormous resources that the world is now spending on rearming to face a hostile Russia, all that money, and put it toward research to cure diseases, eradicate poverty, and much more in the service of humanity!

Unfortunately, we do not live in such a time. Sweden and other countries must now arm themselves to meet reality. Sweden is safer in Nato, and Nato is stronger with Sweden. We are arming Sweden at a furious pace.

We will be persistent in our support for Ukraine together with other countries. Today, this Riksdag decides on the 19th military support package from Sweden to our friends in Ukraine. It is the largest military support package to date.

It has been more than three years since the full-scale invasion began. We have seen unimaginable human suffering – shattered families, abducted children, rape and war crimes – and enormous destruction of economic assets. We have witnessed resilience and strength among the Ukrainian population. It is admirable how they fight on every day.

Despite massive attacks and terror bombings, the will to resist in Ukraine is unbroken and strong. Ukraine's determination is a reminder to all of us that freedom, independence, and democratic values are worth defending even when the price is high.

Madam Speaker! Eight of the Riksdag's eight parties stand behind the Swedish support for Ukraine and the individual support packages to Ukraine. Sweden's support is extensive and important and makes a difference every day, out on the battlefield and far behind the front lines, so that there is warmth and food for the population. Together with other countries, Sweden makes it possible for Ukraine to continue defending itself against the Russian invasion army.

Madam Speaker! Every week since the full-scale invasion began, people in Sweden have gathered in various places to manifest support from Sweden to Ukraine. People have gathered at Norrmalmstorg. People have gathered at the Free Ukraine site outside the Russian embassy to say what we think about what Russia is doing to its neighboring country Ukraine and to show support for Ukraine.

Blågula Bilen, one of many support organizations, has collected and donated nearly 1,000 vehicles. They have driven them to Ukraine and handed over the keys so that the Ukrainians can drive ambulance transports with wounded soldiers away from the front line and much more.

Many thanks to all of you who, on a voluntary basis, commit yourselves to helping to strengthen Ukraine's defense capabilities and ensuring that the invasion army can be repelled!

Madam Speaker! The Government and the Sweden Democrats have agreed to introduce a framework for the military support to Ukraine between the years 2024 and 2026 totaling 75 billion kronor, distributed at 25 billion kronor per year. In the proposal that we will vote on in the chamber today, we begin using a significant part of next year's portion of the framework, specifically 16.5 billion kronor. This means that we quickly strengthen the support to Ukraine and ensure that both military equipment and measures for civil resilience are provided on site.

The support package contains defense materiel of many different types, everything from ammunition to materials for medical transports, personal equipment, base materiel, and parts to meet air defense and maritime capacity. Sweden provides support together with other countries based on what Ukraine describes as what it needs to be able to continue keeping the Russian invasion army at a distance. It shows, Madam Speaker, that the commitment that exists in Sweden and in many other countries makes a real difference all the way to the front line.

Much of what we do is such that it also enables life to continue – that children can receive childcare and that young people can receive education. Even though much of the education takes place in shelters, as we from the Committee on Finance saw during our visit, education still takes place on-site in Ukraine.

It is about having the strength to think and prepare for the future, Madam Speaker, and ensuring that there is faith in the future even after the Russian invasion army has been repelled. It is in the perseverance and the will to continue living a normal life under abnormal circumstances that Ukraine's true strength lies, and our support here and from all volunteer forces in Sweden makes this possible.

Madam Speaker! It is crucial that we continue to be persistent in our support for Ukraine. All of you who contribute to this on a voluntary basis, continue! We must not fail in this.

Sweden's support for Ukraine is broadly anchored and remains firm. With today's decision, we take the next step in that work. It is a decision that reflects both our solidarity and our conviction that Ukraine's struggle is crucial – for Ukraine, for Europe, and for our common future, Madam Speaker. Slava Ukraini!

I vote in favor of the committee's proposal for a decision.

(Applause)

The speech at riksdagen.se, in Swedish (opens in a new tab)

Joakim Sandell (S)

Madam Speaker! We stand here today to make a decision on that Sweden shall continue, and deepen, its support for Ukraine. This occurs at a time when the Ukrainian people are daily defending their freedom, their democracy, and their lives.

We Social Democrats stand behind this extra supplementary budget. We do so because we know what is at stake and because we know that silence, passivity, or indifference is never an option in the face of oppression and aggression.

Madam Speaker! It is easy to forget, but only for a moment: This war is still ongoing. Every day, bombs fall over Ukrainian cities. Every night, families seek shelter in basements. Children grow up under air raid alarms. Lives are destroyed. People's futures are shattered. In that situation, it is our duty not to get used to it, not to let the brutality become commonplace and not to let the geopolitical map replace our moral compass. Therefore, the support for Ukraine is so important.

We provide defense materiel. We provide economic support. But above all, we also give a message that Sweden stands firm and does not waver, does not hesitate, and does not forget.

And just for that reason, Madam Speaker, I also want to say something about what is now happening on the other side of the Atlantic. We are all following the developments in the USA with growing concern. Donald Trump has clearly signaled that he is prepared to abandon Ukraine. He questions the support for Nato, and he relativizes Vladimir Putin's responsibility. Time and again, he puts his own interests ahead of the world's need for stability, peace, and accountability.

It is deeply distressing, and it is dangerous. Because when a great power hesitates, it affects the entire world. It does not only strengthen Russia, but it also undermines the rules-based world order that we all depend on.

It is precisely in such a situation that Sweden must be clear. We cannot replace the USA's military muscles, but we can show political action. We can show that there are still countries – even small ones – that hold fast to their values and stand up for international law, for sovereignty, and for human rights. There are countries that do not cower before authoritarian leaders or flirt with isolationist dreams.

Madam Speaker! We also need to be honest that the threats to unity in Europe do not only come from the outside. They also come from within. Viktor Orbán in Hungary has repeatedly complicated and delayed European support for Ukraine. He has worked against sanctions, he tries to block military support, and he has approached the Kremlin at a time when the rest of the EU shows solidarity and clarity.

Orbán's actions are not only cynical. They are a betrayal of the European community, and they undermine our collective security. It is a reminder that the struggle between democracy and authoritarian nationalism is not only taking place in the east but also within our own structures.

Therefore, it is crucial that Sweden and other member states stand firm and do not let the illiberal Hungarian Orbán set the tone for Europe's position. It is crucial that we show that solidarity is more than a principle: It is an action, and we do not intend to compromise on it.

Madam Speaker! It makes me proud that we in the Swedish Riksdag, across party lines, show such broad unity in this support. In a time when populism is growing in Europe, when divisions are deepening and when some would prefer to turn inward, it is strong that we are in agreement here. It is a statement of strength and an expression of our democratic maturity.

But we Social Democrats will not settle for the symbolic. We also want this support to be long-term and strategic. We will do what we can to help Ukraine win the war. We will also contribute to ensuring that the country can build up a strong, independent and democratic society after the war. It is about healthcare, education, infrastructure and social security systems. It is about believing in the future even when it looks dark.

We must also ensure that the support we give to Ukraine does not erode our own defense capability. Sweden's security and Ukraine's struggle must not be pitted against each other. They are connected.

Madam Speaker! It is easy to talk about values in good times. It is harder when the wind blows cold, the price of solidarity increases, public opinion wavers, and other countries begin to back down. That is when we show who we are. That is when we can show what Sweden stands for.

Today we show that we stand up – not just with words, but with action. We show that our support for Ukraine is not temporary but based on our most fundamental values. We show that we take responsibility even when it is difficult.

Therefore, we will vote yes to this extra supplementary budget, and therefore we say no to trumpism, to submission, and to cynicism.

(Applause)

The speech at riksdagen.se, in Swedish (opens in a new tab)

Charlotte Quensel (SD)

Madam Speaker! Today we are addressing the 19th and so far the largest military support package to Ukraine. The value amounts to a total of 16 billion kronor. With support package 18, which we addressed in January this year, we are only up to just over 29 billion kronor this year.

The Sweden Democrats and the government have previously agreed on a three-year support of 25 billion kronor per year. With Russia's increasingly aggressive pressure on Ukraine, we however need to move faster. This year, we have therefore already used the majority of the budgeted funds for 2026. With today's support package, Sweden is up to a total support of almost 90 billion kronor.

It came as a harsh awakening for Europe to have to shoulder a greater responsibility for Ukraine's defense as the USA no longer sees it as a given to be leading in the support. It means that both the EU and individual countries in Europe need to do more for Ukraine in order to have the ability to continue standing up against Russia. Today's package responds to this.

What is new in this package is primarily two things. One is a large procurement of newly manufactured defense materiel. Sweden maintains a continuous dialogue with Ukraine to ensure that we support what Ukraine actually requests. Therefore, we will make investments in tailored technical solutions that do not yet exist on the market. We will support innovation, productization, and militarization of smaller tech companies that have promising products in the pipeline. The focus is on developing materiel with the result that they can be mass-produced in the near future.

We started the second major initiative already in the previous package, but now comes the major support: We are making financial donations of just over 5 billion kronor. It is primarily a Danish initiative for procurement so that they can together ensure business viability, transparency, and delivery control when procuring this much military materiel. And now we are supporting with an additional 5 billion. The Defence Materiel Administration will contribute personnel to monitor activities that Sweden is involved in and financing so that everything goes correctly.

Ukraine's future is, as we all know, very uncertain. Even a ceasefire implies uncertainty, and it will require major investments to rebuild Ukraine. It is, however, a great reassurance that we in the Swedish Riksdag are united in our support. I hope, and proceed on the basis that, we will all continue to be very united. It is also very important that Europe as a whole is united.

To enable a strong Ukraine, it is a prerequisite that Russia realizes that it costs more than it is worth to attack a sovereign state. It is high time that Europe's leaders shoulder the responsibility for our security and that they do not expect the USA to bear the lion's share of this security.

Madam Speaker! It has been over three years since Russia attacked Ukraine. Europe needs to hold out and hold together, in support and in action. Europe has the capacity to shoulder the support for Ukraine. Hopefully, the EU will also make major reprioritizations in the upcoming long-term budget to free up funds for what is most important for a strong union and strong neighbors. Part of the EU's security consists of our friendly neighbors having the ability to withstand those who attack them. We need to look up and take into account what the rest of the world actually does, not what one hopes the rest of the world will do.

Every night I wake up. Perhaps not many in Sweden think about it, but every night Ukraine is attacked. We were a group from the Committee on Finance who visited Ukraine in May last year. Then, on the phones we were allowed to travel with, we had an app that warned us when the air raid siren went off. I have that app on my work phone. Every night, thousands of families must hurry down into shelters. While we can sleep peacefully here, they live under constant pressure and in constant destruction, completely innocently attacked by a neighbor.

The alarms also go off during the day. Families are separated during the day, and people do not know if their children make it down into the shelters – if there are even any shelters. That is what Ukraine lives with after being completely innocently attacked by Russia. That is what we must ensure to stop, so that their alarms do not need to go off at night.

I conclude by moving for the approval of the committee's proposal in the report.

(Applause)

The speech at riksdagen.se, in Swedish (opens in a new tab)

Ilona Szatmári Waldau (V)

Madam Speaker! The war in Ukraine has now been ongoing for over three years. Ukraine has, through its perseverance and will to defend itself, withstood the Russian war of aggression. But it has come at a cost, not least in the form of human lives and destroyed infrastructure.

Ukraine would not have been able to withstand [the aggression] without the world's support – the moral support, the economic support, and the support in the form of war materiel and training. Now we are to decide on another large support to Ukraine, this time in the form of, among other things, materiel and training.

When we in the Committee on Finance visited Ukraine nearly a year ago, people naturally spoke a lot about the need for war materiel, but also about how important it has been with training and Sweden's support in the form of equipment, which has saved the lives of many Ukrainian soldiers. It means a few fewer flags at Independence Square in Kyiv. Already during our visit last year, there were very many flags there, and it is heartbreaking to think about how many more there must be today.

In this support package, in addition to materiel, support for Ukraine's total defense capability, coast guard, and crisis preparedness is included to support emergency services, energy, and maritime security. When Russia attempts to diminish Ukraine's will to defend by knocking out energy and targeting the civilian population, a defense is required that does not only consist of being effective on the battlefield. There, the support to the institutions that have the task of protecting democratic processes in Ukraine is also important.

Madam Speaker! Russia's actions – invasion, occupation and war – are completely unacceptable and violate international law. The invasion is unprovoked, illegal and unjustifiable. Support for Ukraine and the economic sanctions must continue and be expanded. This includes combating the Russian shadow fleet in the Baltic Sea, which also poses a major risk of environmental disasters. The world's countries must also stop buying Russian oil and gas because it finances Putin's war.

After the American election and a new presidential administration in the White House, we see a worrying development. The President promised during the election campaign to bring a swift end to the war. Now we see that he is trying to secure a peace agreement where Russia stands as the winner. It should never pay to attack another country. The great power politics from the White House is worrying. The President wants to achieve peace by conceding large parts of Ukraine to Russia, and he wants to make both Greenland and Canada into American states. The idea that the one who is big and strong has the right to take what it wants must not win.

Therefore, it is positive that most democratic states are united in their support for Ukraine and in their opposition to the Russian invasion. The goal must be to collectively prevent Russia from winning the war and to ensure that Russia is not rewarded in any way for the invasion and occupation for which it is responsible. No negotiations may take place over the head of Ukraine. It is Ukraine's conditions and Ukraine's decisions that must form the basis for any negotiations and settlements. It is Ukraine that determines the way forward for its own country.

Ukraine needs a peace that is just and sustainable, not a peace that gives Russia a taste for more and that does not deter Putin from new wars of aggression. Peace in Ukraine is important for all of Europe. If Ukraine is forced into an unjust peace, all of Europe is ultimately threatened. Putin will not stop at Ukraine; his imperialism will continue and, in the long run, threaten all of democratic Europe.

When the war is over, Sweden and the EU must be involved in the reconstruction of Ukraine based on the direction that the Ukrainian population wants to see. The same applies to our support for other countries that are directly threatened by Russian imperialism, such as Moldova and Georgia.

Madam Speaker! All around the world, wars and conflicts are ongoing. People flee for their lives, despots ravage, and people live in oppression. War always leads to many casualties, shattered families, great devastation in the form of cities and infrastructure being bombed to pieces, as well as mines in the ground and water that must be cleared. In Vietnam and Cambodia, people are still being killed by remaining mines, even though it has been a long time since those wars ended.

War creates many refugees and the maimed. Generations of children grow up with the consequences, the sorrow, and the memories. Even though I was not born, it is with great sorrow that I think of my grandmother's brother and her cousin, who, together with other young Jewish men, were forced out into the Soviet minefields to clear them for the subsequent Hungarian army. Traumas are inherited across generations, and they can be difficult to process.

Madam Speaker! I also want to direct a thought to the last international journalist to leave Ukraine after Russia's invasion – the one who stayed the longest of all. It was Joakim Medin. Now he is sitting in a Turkish prison. I hope that he will soon be able to leave that country as well, and I hope that it is the entire Riksdag's wish.

With that said, Madam Speaker, I would like to conclude by pointing out that Sweden must continue to be a strong voice in the world for peace, freedom, democracy, human rights, and equality. Vänsterpartiet stands behind the humanitarian, economic, and military support that Sweden sends to Ukraine and condemns the Russian invasion and occupation. I move to approve the committee's proposal.

The speech at riksdagen.se, in Swedish (opens in a new tab)

Martin Ådahl (C)

Madam Speaker! In just the last 24 hours, 8 civilians have died and 24 have been injured in Ukraine, including a twelve-year-old girl in the Sumy region. It is unfortunately yet another ordinary day in Putin's war of terror against Ukraine, where, in the middle of the so-called peace negotiations, they do not hesitate to continue to deliberately and actually quite calculatedly target completely ordinary civilians and children. Just two weeks ago, civilians in the Sumy region were attacked on their way out from a Sunday church service. 35 died and 117 were injured. Even Donald Trump, who otherwise has consistently followed the Kremlin's and Putin's agenda, is now asking Putin to "stop".

It is difficult not to think of the families we have met – partly families who are here in Sweden as refugees, and partly those we in the Committee on Finance met a year ago when we were in Kyiv and the Kyiv region. One of them, or some relative or friend, has been affected now.

Trump wants to impose a peace on Ukraine on Putin's terms. Here is the opportunity to once again quote Winston Churchill and what he said to Neville Chamberlain after the Munich Agreement in 1938. Even there, a Western country tried to sell out a victim to the aggressor. Churchill said: You chose between dishonor and war. You chose dishonor, and you got war.

Every settlement with Putin that rewards his misdeeds will encourage more misdeeds. There are, as has been mentioned earlier in the debate, many new places in Europe where this can occur.

Here, Sweden must stand firm and cooperate with others so that the EU and Europe also stand firm. At the same time, Donald Trump, in the midst of all the rambling, unfortunately has a point when he, like a mafia boss, says that Zelenskyy does not have the cards. It is we in Western Europe – we in Europe – who have not given Zelenskyy and Ukraine all the cards they would need to stand up now when the USA and Trump are failing. We have not mobilized all our resources, even though Ukraine is our shield against Putin and even though it lies in our security interest. As mentioned earlier, we now even hear Putin's attack dog Dmitry Medvedev threatening Sweden and Finland.

Instead of acting, everyone is blaming each other in Europe. Everyone is looking at each other. Everyone is waiting, if not otherwise for Friedrich Merz and his government in Germany, even though the time ran out long ago and even though there are simple things to do. We in the West can still send air defense, even without the USA. We know that the Danish model mentioned earlier today – to provide money so that Ukraine can build out its own defense industry – has worked very well. It is very grateful and welcome that an additional 5 billion is given to this within the scope of this package. We know, however, that the possibilities for this amount to around 200 billion kronor, according to Ukraine's own assessment. There is an enormous amount more we can do to build up Ukraine's own defense capability.

Ukraine today produces, as many in this chamber know, half of all the defense materiel used in the war against Russia in its own defense industry, which is often at the technological forefront. We know that Ukraine is still asking us for Jas 39 Gripen. We know that we can send advanced weapons systems. We know that we can donate to Ukraine's defense fund.

Europe is under pressure, but just 1 percent of Europe's total GDP would be more help than all the help that the USA has given since the beginning of the full-scale invasion. Our combined economy is at least ten times larger than Russia's. Probably even the Nordic countries' GDP is larger than Russia's, even if it is difficult to calculate today because it is a war economy.

The one who must lead this, and not be led by others, is Sweden. Sweden has low public debt. We can give the most per capita and can give the most in relation to GDP, but instead, we still lag behind our Baltic neighbors and several Nordic neighbors. Therefore, this package is incredibly good. The great unity that exists in this chamber is also incredibly important and good. But unfortunately, it is not enough. Time is up. Therefore, on behalf of the Center Party, I urge: Give a big package! Give a maximum package!

We can, should, and must triple the aid to Ukraine to just over 1 percent of GDP, or 75 billion kronor. It is already obvious that the framework of 25 billion per year that has been set, which has already been exceeded by 16 billion during the current year, is not holding. Why not set a framework that corresponds to Ukraine's needs and our capacity until such time as Zelenskyy can withstand the attempts to force Ukraine to its knees before Putin? We cannot wait. It is not possible to wait for Trump to suddenly have some kind of revelation about Putin, but it is action that matters. Action, if anything, is the only thing Trump listens to. Action is what Ukraine needs.

Do it now, before it is too late! Triple the aid to Ukraine, and do it now! Not only can we spare 1 percent of GDP, but we should also do so. It lies in both our moral and our security policy interest. The Swedish people expect from their Prime Minister and their government that they stand up for Ukraine, for freedom in Europe, and for all those people who every day risk their lives, whether it is at the front or whether it concerns civilians who are affected by the ongoing and continued terror bombings. These people want to remain in a free and democratic country without oppression and not give up in the face of a superior power that they have stood against since the full-scale invasion began.

I naturally want to express my support for the proposal regarding the package.

The speech at riksdagen.se, in Swedish (opens in a new tab)

Hans Eklind (KD)

Madam Speaker! We are therefore debating support package number 19 for Ukraine. It covers 16 billion, which makes it the largest support package to date.

In a time that is in many ways uncertain, we in Sweden show that we are ready to take responsibility and that we are doing our part so that Europe will take a greater responsibility to support Ukraine. That we can continue to do this, moreover with a united parliament, sends important signals to the rest of the world. We do 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.

That we can once again move forward with such a large package is based on the common perception that support is needed in the near term. The Government has therefore pre-allocated parts of the economic framework for military support, which means that the framework can now be expanded from 25 to 40 billion during the current year. It is estimated that 70 percent of the value contained in this package will be delivered this year.

To support Ukraine's efforts to defend itself against Russia's military attacks, there is also this time support in the form of ammunition, air defense, mine-protected vehicles and much more. It is now about the procurement of defense materiel from the Swedish, Nordic and European defense industry for the Ukrainian defense.

In this package, there are also economic donations. There are a number of different multilateral initiatives that procure material and equipment which can then be donated to Ukraine.

The package also includes donations of Swedish defense materiel that can be spared for a limited period. This concerns machine guns, small-caliber ammunition, vehicles for airbase maintenance, medical transport vehicles, medical equipment, personal equipment, food, and so on.

With this package, the export credit guarantees are expanded to also include defense exports. For defense equipment companies that can and want to export to Ukraine, transactions with the Ukrainian state are, of course, associated with high risk exposure. To facilitate this type of business, export credit guarantees are therefore introduced.

Madam Speaker! In December 2022, we discussed the ninth support package here in the chamber, and we called it the winter package. Now we have reached the 19th support package. I said then and I say here today: The Ukrainian people are the innocent victims of this madness, Putin's war. It defends democracy, freedom, and every people's right to decide its own fate. We support the Ukrainian people because it is morally right and correct. We support this brave people; they shall not stand alone.

This stance, Madam Speaker, has misled and guided us Christian Democrats every day since February 24, 2022.

I vote in favor of the committee's proposal.

(Applause)

The speech at riksdagen.se, in Swedish (opens in a new tab)

Cecilia Rönn (L)

Madam Speaker! I vote in favor of the committee's proposal.

The signal we send with this extra amendment budget is that Sweden stands united behind Ukraine's freedom, peace, and future. We stand here in a time that will define our generation. Ukraine has fought for its freedom, peace, and future for more than three years. For more than three years, war has raged in Europe, where the authoritarian regime Russia tries to crush a democracy. Ukraine fights not only for its survival but also for the values we in Sweden hold in the highest regard: freedom, self-determination, and democracy. Their struggle is our struggle, and our support must continue to be long-term and unwavering.

Ukraine's perseverance, resilience, and endurance in the fight for its democracy, its country, and its freedom is unimaginable. The fight has now been ongoing for more than three years, and it is impossible to imagine how everyday life has changed and what it is like to live with constant shelling, alarms, and fears that loved ones will not come home again. In addition to Ukraine having succeeded in standing up militarily against Russia's full-scale and illegal invasion, it has also succeeded in maintaining its electricity supply, its infrastructure, its companies, its food deliveries, and its payment systems.

Sweden and the rest of the world need to continue to support Ukraine until the war is over, help the Ukrainians rebuild the country after the war and let Ukraine become part of the European community. We also have much to learn from Ukraine. Let us not believe otherwise.

Support for Ukraine is absolutely crucial. In Sweden, there is strong support to continue supporting Ukraine until it has won the war and established peace on its own terms. I am very pleased that we, in this fateful issue, stand united across all party lines and that the Swedish people join in support of the support for Ukraine.

Madam Speaker! Since Russia's full-scale invasion in 2022, Sweden's support for Ukraine has been extensive. But the war continues. We know that Ukraine's struggle for freedom is also our struggle for democracy, freedom, and security in Europe. Therefore, we liberals naturally stand wholeheartedly behind the proposal for an extra supplementary budget. This budget means that we donate additional defense materiel such as ammunition, ambulance vehicles, personal equipment, and materiel for airbase maintenance to Ukraine. The support is complemented by reinforcements to the total defense, the Coast Guard, and the Psychological Defence Agency. The support is extensive, concrete, and directly adapted to the needs identified by Ukraine. For us liberals, this is not just a question of equipment. It is a question of values. Ukraine fights for its freedom but also for the entire European democratic order.

Madam Speaker! To clearly signal the long-term nature of the support for Ukraine, the government has previously announced a floor of 25 billion per year. We Liberals have announced that we want to increase the support further. It is crucial to show that Sweden is not just participating but leading. Sweden's support must be stable, predictable, and grow in line with Ukraine's needs. Sweden's support for Ukraine is a support for our common future in a free and democratic Europe.

(Applause)

The speech at riksdagen.se, in Swedish (opens in a new tab)

Martin Ådahl (C)

Madam Speaker! I did not request a reply because I think differently than Cecilia Rönn on this important issue, rather the opposite. The Centre Party thinks that the support for Ukraine is good but that it is by no means sufficient. That Sweden is a leader in Europe is the way to be able to compensate for what Trump is now doing with the US support for Ukraine. We therefore propose that the Swedish support should be tripled to just over 1 percent of GDP per year, i.e., 75 billion. Sweden can manage that, and Ukraine needs it.

On March 3, the Liberals wrote in a debate article that the support should be doubled and that the established Ukraine fund should be expanded as soon as possible. In the same article, the Liberals also wrote that a good friend does not skimp on help.

Do the Liberals stand by the position that the aid should be doubled? Currently, only a part of the aid has been moved, and it is still not twice as much this year as was intended from the beginning. The Centre Party wants three times as much. Do the Liberals stand by that the support should be doubled, and do you intend to continue to push for that? Or do you want even more, and how do you intend to push for that in the future?

The speech at riksdagen.se, in Swedish (opens in a new tab)

Cecilia Rönn (L)

Madam Speaker! I thank Member Ådahl for the question.

The Speaker refers to a debate article that my colleagues in the Committee on Defence and the Committee on Foreign Affairs wrote. I completely agree with them that a good friend does not skimp on help, and I think that Sweden in this regard is a very good friend who does what we can, listens to Ukraine's needs and supports.

There are several important actors in this work. Sweden is a part of the EU community, and in this work, we are pushing for the support from the entire EU to be long-term and stable.

Just as the member said, the situation in the USA has made the issue even more relevant, and therefore it is important that we now step forward and secure long-term support for Ukraine so that they can win the war and achieve peace on their own terms. Against this background, the Liberals submitted the proposal to further expand the support. As I said in my speech, the 25 billion per year is a baseline, and as my colleagues in the governing parties have said, the framework for the military support also applies to 2026. Naturally, the Liberals' ambition is sustained and increased support for Ukraine from both Sweden as a nation and the EU community so that Ukraine receives what it needs to be able to win the war.

The speech at riksdagen.se, in Swedish (opens in a new tab)

Martin Ådahl (C)

Madam Speaker! To both do everything one can together in Europe and each country individually is very wise. But as I touched upon in my speech, it is by leading with concrete examples that we can impress others, perhaps even against all odds on the USA and the Trump administration. But above all, we can lead our neighbors in Europe and together with the Nordics, the Baltics, and Poland create a strong pool within the EU that invests heavily in Ukraine, is a great support, and shows the way for the others: Now we are doing this, and you can follow and do just as much.

It is precisely this that President Zelenskyy, the Ukrainian leadership, and the Ukrainian military need in this situation to be able to withstand when the USA withdraws its support.

I think that this wise reasoning leads to the conclusion that Sweden should increase its aid and at least give the most per capita in Europe and the world. We have, after all, good public finances, a strong defense industry, and high capacity.

I did not really get a clear answer from the member from the Liberals. Do the Liberals stand by doubling the amount of support for Ukraine from 25 to 50 billion per year?

One is welcome to think like the Center Party that it should be three times as large. We really need to do everything we can right now.

The speech at riksdagen.se, in Swedish (opens in a new tab)

Cecilia Rönn (L)

Madam Speaker! Thank you to the member!

I will try to be even clearer in my answer. I completely agree with the long-term and important support for Ukraine, just as I said in my first answer. I do not intend to repeat it.

I fully stand behind what my colleagues wrote in the debate article and what Gulan Avci also presented in the Agenda debate. It is that the Liberals want to increase the support. We will, of course, push for this in cooperation with the government.

My perception is that the entire government holds the view that the support to Ukraine should be purposeful and long-term, and it should help Ukraine win the war and be able to rebuild its country. We are working for that both nationally and in the EU community.

The speech at riksdagen.se, in Swedish (opens in a new tab)

Jacob Risberg (MP)

Madam Speaker! In Europe, a brutal war has been raging for three years. It is a war that has been started because of a lust for power and Putin's self-glorifying image of himself and Russia's history. Putin's invasion of Ukraine is an attack not only on a country, but on the entire idea of freedom, democracy, human dignity, and a rules-based world order.

We see every day images of destroyed cities, shattered lives, and brutal atrocities. We see children carrying heavy bags fleeing from their homes, mothers weeping over their lost sons, and the elderly surviving in basements without heat and water. At the same time, we see something equally strong: Ukraine's indomitable will. We see soldiers, healthcare workers, teachers, and volunteers fighting with a determination that inspires the entire world. But they cannot fight this battle alone.

Madam Speaker! It was not long ago that we decided on our previous support package for Ukraine. That in itself is a very important signal. We in the Swedish Riksdag are united in our support, and we will continue to support Ukraine as long as it is needed.

The support we can provide – financially, humanitarily, militarily – is crucial. Every krona, every delivery of aid and every vote in the international institutions makes a difference. It is about giving Ukraine the opportunity to defend itself, to alleviate the distress of the civilian population, and to show Putin that the world does not accept that force takes precedence over right. To stand with Ukraine is to stand on the right side of history.

We must not deceive ourselves: A Ukraine that defeats the aggression is a guarantee for a safer and freer world for us all. If we do not stop the violence there, we risk it spreading. If we do not defend the principle of self-determination in Ukraine, we weaken it everywhere.

I could only wish that the rest of the world saw it in the same way – in any case our allies and partners, but it is highly uncertain now. When it comes to the USA, it unfortunately seems to be the opposite instead: that the right of the strongest should prevail and that former superpowers can settle the world order without taking into account those who are occupied, whether at a state or human level.

Trump talks about peace, but is it really the peace we want?

The empire once sang:

And with peace comes silence: everything is arranged under the hand and people and countries are carved up in the name of consensus. So take half the earth, brother, and half the moon, and I will take the other half, then we are both satisfied. And if one then fights against oppression and threatens the freedom that one has chosen, then every war becomes a victory battle and every peace a defeat.

We want peace, but a peace must also become a sustainable peace. The signals we receive regarding peace proposals where Putin is rewarded for his invasion undermine international law and put us all at risk.

It is about the future – our future and our children's future. A future where right prevails over power, where the will of the people means more than dictators' dreams of empires and where we can live in peace, in freedom, with respect for one another as free people.

Today again, we show in words and actions that we stand side by side with those who defend their homes, their freedom, and their lives. Today, as on all other days. For Ukraine. For freedom. For all of us.

The deliberation was hereby concluded.

(Decisions were made under § 10.)

The speech at riksdagen.se, in Swedish (opens in a new tab)