Sweden’s government has announced its plan to give $1.2 billion aid to Ukraine, to strengthen Kiev troops with additional military equipment and munitions.

The Scandinavian nation’s Minister of Defense Pål Henning Jonson said on Thursday that Europe needed to take greater responsibility and play a bigger role in supporting the Kiev forces fighting in the Russian-speaking Donbas region. 

Jonson, speaking at a press conference, pledged to give the Ukrainians an additional $1.2 billion in military aid as Europe needed to prepare to meet the growing necessity to support Kiev.

He said the new package of military aid from Stockholm to Kiev will be the largest to date.

Jonson claimed Stockholm’s large military package for Kiev proved the Scandinavian nation was ready to provide “long-term” supplies for Ukrainian forces fighting Russian troops.

He added the large military package was a signal to allies to follow initiatives to support Ukraine.

“This is also a signal to our other allies that we need to prepare for Europe to take more responsibility for supporting Ukraine,” he said.

The $1.2 billion includes $5.5 billion worth of procuring material used for military purposes from Swedish and foreign industry that would then be donated to Ukraine.

The Swedish defense minister explained the allocations in the new package meant Sweden was moving from donating weapons from stockpiles to purchasing new arms.

A large part of the military aid has been allocated to Ukrainian production of “long-range missiles and long-distance drones”, the government said.

Sweden’s military aid to Ukraine also included donations worth $300 million from the Swedish Armed Forces, including 16 of Sweden’s Combat Boat 90, doubling the amount of such boats donated to Ukraine.

The country had previously sent its Archer mobile artillery system, 50 of its CV90 armored combat vehicles and “around 10” Leopard 2 tanks and anti-air missile systems to Ukraine.

Swedish military aid to Ukraine has totaled $5.6 billion since the war started in Feb. 2022, according to the government.

“Sweden has announced a new record-breaking military aid package of $1.2 billion—the largest in the country’s history for Ukraine. It includes critical resources for the frontline,” Ukrainian Defense Minister Rustem Umerov wrote on social media.

Sweden became a member of the North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO) in March 2024, shortly after Russia launched its military operation in eastern Ukraine.

In the meantime, US President Donald Trump demands NATO members raise their military spending from a set rate of 2 percent of GDP up to 5 percent of GDP.

Speaking at the Davos Forum in Switzerland last week, Trump voiced his dissatisfaction with the EU’s treatment of the US in economic matters.

“From the standpoint of America, the EU treats us very, very unfairly, very badly,” Trump said in his speech via videoconference from Washington.

Trump went on to complain about the trade balance between the US and EU members, which he said was unfairly imbalanced and benefitting the Europeans. “So, we have some very big complaints with the EU.”

Trump then expressed his concerns about US allies’ military spending, calling on NATO nations, particularly in Europe, to spend more money on their military.

“I’m also going to ask all NATO nations to increase defense spending to 5 percent of GDP,” he said.

Trump said his goal was the pursuit of “fair” relationships with European countries.

He added this is achievable through trade balance and military contributions. “I’m trying to be constructive because I love Europe.”

Also, Trump has repeatedly said that he wants to end the Ukraine war as soon as possible, oftentimes using the expression “in one day” to emphasize expediency.

The billionaire salesman-turned-statesman seems weary of the tens of billions of dollars the US wasted on weapons, munitions and provisions for Ukraine.

Trump said last September, “Every time [Ukrainian President Volodomyr]  Zelensky comes to the US he walks away with $100 billion. I think he’s the greatest salesman on Earth.”

However, those advising Trump on Ukraine, such as his special envoy to Kiev retired General Keith Kellogg and national security adviser, Mike Waltz, are both pro-Ukraine and pro-NATO.

Kellogg told the media earlier this month that he aimed to end the war in 100 days.

Analysts are pessimistic about the timeline, still waiting to see what Trump’s next step will be in his effort to seal a Ukraine deal with Russia.

Last week after his Davos speech, Trump took to social media, telling Russia, “Settle now, and STOP this ridiculous War! IT’S ONLY GOING TO GET WORSE. If we don’t make a ‘deal’, and soon.”

“Let’s get this war, which never would have started if I were President, over with! We can do it the easy way, or the hard way — and the easy way is always better. It’s time to ‘MAKE A DEAL’.”

In the meantime, Trump has given the apprehensive Ukrainians the heads-up that a deal brokered by him might include ceding territory to Russia.

Russia launched its military campaign in Ukraine’s Russian-speaking Donbas region in February 2022, preventing NATO’s eastward expansion after warning the US-led military alliance against pursuing an “aggressive line” against Moscow.

Since then,  the US and its Western allies have flooded Ukraine with arms and ammunition, turning a deaf ear to Moscow’s calls that the move would only make matters worse.