Sweden and Finland cooperate on additional military support package for Ukraine.

The Swedish government announced on January 20 that Swedish Minister for Defence Pål Jonson and Finland's Minister of Defence Mikko Savola signed a Finnish-Swedish letter of intent that will enable Finland to provide Ukraine with heavy military weapons at a replacement cost of more than SEK 4.11 billion (EUR 370 million).
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Like Finland, Sweden already delivered a large quantity of military materiel to Ukraine (Picture source: Antonia Sehlstedt/Försvarsmakten)

“Finnish-Swedish cooperation has now resulted in an additional large weapons package by enabling Finland to deliver heavy military equipment to Ukraine. Sweden and Finland are each other’s closest ally and today’s letter of intent shows that there is no predetermined limit to how this cooperation may develop,” says Mr Jonson.

Finland’s delivery of heavy military equipment to Ukraine is made possible through previous government decisions, the Swedish-Finnish memorandum of understanding on enhanced military cooperation and the signing of today’s letter of intent.

Official statement signed in Ramstein on January 20, 2023

Europe is facing multiple security challenges and geopolitical uncertainty due to Russia’s unprovoked aggression against Ukraine. Finland and Sweden have a shared interest in upholding the fundamental principles of international law, preserving the European security order and security in our neighbourhood and in strengthening European and Transatlantic cooperation. We emphasize the importance of continued solidarity with and support to Ukraine, in line with our memberships in EU and status as invitees to NATO.

The close defence relationship between our countries is based on decisions taken jointly concerning deepened defence cooperation, for instance, the Memorandum of Understanding on Defence Cooperation between the Government of the Republic of Finland and the Government of the Kingdom of Sweden signed in 2018 and the Memorandum of Understanding between the Government of the Republic of Finland and the Government of the Kingdom of Sweden concerning the provision of Host Nation Support for Military Activities signed in 2022.

Our aim is to strengthen this bilateral partnership in security and defence even further. In that way, we contribute more effectively to meet challenges to international peace and security and strengthen multilateral arrangements. Defence cooperation between Finland and Sweden covers peace, crisis and war. It creates prerequisites for combined joint military action and operations in all situations.

Finland and Sweden are committed to supporting Ukraine and responding to its urgent need of defence material. Bilateral cooperation between our countries can facilitate timely and targeted support.

Consequently, Finland and Sweden have decided to act together, in the framework of our bilateral defence cooperation, to increase our support to the just cause of Ukraine. A delivery of military support by Finland to Ukraine will be made possible through the ongoing joint operational planning between our countries’ Armed Forces. This will include reviewing and, if necessary, adjusting the current operational plans. Sweden is prepared to act jointly with Finland if so agreed.

This Statement of Intent is not a legally binding commitment between Sweden and Finland under international or national law. It underlines the mutual trust between our countries, and shows that Finland and Sweden are prepared and ready to act together in peace, crisis and war.