The Swedish government has announced that it will end programmatic development assistance to five countries — Zimbabwe, Tanzania, Mozambique, Liberia, and Bolivia — in the coming years, and plans to use the funds to significantly increase support for Ukraine.
Reuters reports this.
Minister of International Development and Foreign Trade Benjamin Dausa said that Ukraine is a priority for Sweden in foreign and humanitarian policy, so in 2026, aid to Kyiv will increase to at least 10 billion kronor ($1.06 billion).
The government predicts that the decision will free up over 2 billion crowns in the next two years, which will go to support Ukraine, in particular to rebuild its energy infrastructure.
Sweden has already cut aid to more than a dozen countries, including Burkina Faso and Mali, since 2022. The total budget for Swedish international aid has been 56 billion kronor per year for the past three years, but in 2026-2028 it will be reduced to 53 billion, partly redirected to costs related to migration and repatriation.
- It was previously reported that Denmark will reduce aid to Ukraine next year, allocating 9.4 billion kroner (€1.22 billion) compared to 16.5 billion kroner (€2.15 billion) in 2024.
For more news and in-depth stories from Ukraine, please follow us on X.