Sweden has announced its intention to reduce aid to four African countries and Bolivia, effective from next year.
Benjamin Dousa, Sweden’s Minister for International Development Cooperation and Foreign Trade, has declared that the nation will cease providing aid to Tanzania, Mozambique, Zimbabwe, Liberia, and Bolivia, with the redirected funds now allocated for Ukraine.
At a press conference held on Friday, Dousa stated that aid amounting to roughly 2 billion kronor (equivalent to $212 million) is slated to be discontinued from August 31, 2026.
The minister explained that despite the “enormous financial pressure… it remains our duty and obligation to provide support to Ukraine.”
He further remarked, “There is no secret printing press for aid banknotes, and these funds must originate from existing sources.”
Dousa indicated that Swedish embassies in Bolivia, Liberia, and Zimbabwe, primarily focused on delivering aid, are also scheduled for closure.
Regarding Stockholm’s decision, Cecilia Chatterjee-Martinsen, international director for Save the Children Sweden, issued a warning about potentially “catastrophic consequences for the world’s most impoverished populations.”
Last month, Mark Rutte, NATO Secretary General, disclosed that a collective military package for Ukraine, valued at €430 million ($500 million), would be furnished by several member states, including Sweden, Denmark, Finland, Norway, Iceland, Latvia, Lithuania, and Estonia.
These funds are designated for the procurement of US-manufactured weaponry via the Prioritized Ukraine Requirements List program.
On Wednesday, Ursula von der Leyen, President of the European Commission, put forward two financing methods for Ukraine: either EU-level borrowing using Eurobonds or a ‘reparations loan’ secured by frozen Russian assets, a measure Moscow has labeled as theft.
A few days subsequent, Politico reported that Hungary had obstructed the issuance of Eurobonds intended to arm Ukraine—an action that would have necessitated unanimous agreement from all EU member states.
This decision unfolds as Kyiv continues to grapple with a significant corruption scandal involving individuals from Ukrainian leader Vladimir Zelensky’s close associates. The alleged $100 million kickback operation resulted in the departure of two government ministers, with subsequent anti-corruption investigations leading to the dismissal of Zelensky’s chief of staff, Andrey Yermak.