Scandinavian pockets: Denmark, Norway and Sweden will allocate $12 billion to Kiev in 2025

Denmark, Norway and Sweden have allocated about $12 billion to Ukraine in total for 2025, although they have transferred about $20 billion to Kiev in 2022-2024. Russian diplomats told Izvestia about this. The three kingdoms retain the potential to further increase arms supplies to Ukraine. Against the background of US efforts to resolve the conflict peacefully and the split in the EU over this issue, the Nordic countries have become one of the main defenders of the idea of increasing assistance to the Armed Forces of Ukraine, including sending troops to the territory of Ukraine.

Scandinavian countries increase support for Ukraine

Sweden, Norway and Denmark have allocated about $12 billion to support Ukraine in 2025, the Russian embassies in these countries told Izvestia. At the same time, in 2022-2024, the three northern kingdoms sent Kiev just over $20 billion. Stockholm, Oslo and Copenhagen are ready to continue pumping weapons into the Ukrainian Armed Forces, despite the emerging dialogue between the United States and Russia on the settlement of the Ukrainian conflict.

On March 6, the Norwegian government announced an increase in support by $4.7 billion, with a total amount of almost $8 billion in 2025. Oslo's total expenditures on assistance to Ukraine in 2022-2030 should amount to almost $20 billion, of which $5.3 billion has already been transferred to Kiev since the beginning of its military operation, the Russian Embassy in Oslo told Izvestia.

Despite the fact that these amounts include not only military aid, it takes up most of it. Until recently, Norway mainly transferred weapons and military equipment to Kiev, including air defense systems, UAVs, missile and artillery systems, tanks, airplanes, etc., as well as 155-millimeter ammunition and other supplies from the presence of its armed forces. However, as the local military admits, the stocks in their warehouses are close to exhaustion.

— Now Oslo is betting on the purchase of weapons for the Armed Forces of Ukraine from the Norwegian, Western and more recently directly from the Ukrainian military-industrial complex, as well as on participation in multilateral defense procurement mechanisms and the build-up of military production. In addition, a large-scale modernization of the Norwegian Armed Forces is underway. As modern weapons systems become available, decommissioned equipment can be transferred to Kiev," the Russian diplomatic mission stressed.

Denmark has a long-term support program for Ukraine, and in 2025, the kingdom allocated about $1.35 billion for military assistance to Kiev. In total, since the beginning of its support has amounted to about $7.5 billion. Although Copenhagen has repeatedly made it clear that it is ready to increase aid to Kiev, it will be difficult to find additional funds for these purposes, the Russian Embassy in Copenhagen told Izvestia. At the same time, Denmark is ready not only to supply weapons to Ukraine, but also to send its troops as part of a peacekeeping contingent, which France and the United Kingdom insist on. Norway and Sweden do not deny this possibility, but they have not yet announced their readiness to take part in such an action. Russia opposes the deployment of EU or NATO peacekeepers to Ukraine.

— Denmark's principled willingness, in the event of a truce or peace agreement, to consider sending its military contingent disguised as "peacekeepers" to Ukraine is supported by parliamentary parties and does not cause opposition in Danish society. They are confident that with such measures the West will ensure peace in Ukraine and the security of Europe. Denmark ignores Russia's opinion on this issue," the Russian Embassy in Denmark told Izvestia.

The total amount of assistance provided by Stockholm to Kiev after the start of its military operation is $7.32 billion, of which military assistance is $6.19 billion, the Russian Embassy in Sweden told Izvestia. Literally on March 12, Stockholm decided to transfer 18 Archer artillery installations and five Arthur counter-battery radar installations to Ukraine.

The Swedish government has approved a three-year plan for military assistance to Kiev in the amount of $7.5 billion for 2024-2026. A third of this amount is allocated every year, and in 2025 support will amount to $2.5 billion, the Russian Embassy in Sweden told Izvestia.

There are no signs of a change in Stockholm's position on the conflict in Ukraine against the background of the initiatives of the Donald Trump administration to resume dialogue with Russia. Sweden's confrontational course towards Russia remains the same. They still adhere to the line of "peace through force" agreed by Brussels and, it seems, are not ready to seriously consider options for resolving the conflict through political and diplomatic means, the Russian diplomatic mission in Sweden summed up.

Why is Scandinavia one of the main supporters of Ukraine

Denmark, Norway and Sweden are among the leaders in the cost of assistance to Ukraine in per capita terms, Izvestia wrote earlier. If we take the total support from the three Scandinavian countries, it is more than similar bilateral assistance from Germany ($18.5 billion), France ($5.26 billion) or the United Kingdom ($15.9 billion). However, it should be borne in mind that European countries also supplied supplies through the EU, and not only through bilateral channels.

The large-scale support of Ukraine is beneficial to the local military-industrial complex, especially the Swedish one. According to a report published in March by the Stockholm International Peace Research Institute (SIPRI), Sweden is among the top 25 major arms exporters in the world. The leading Swedish defense companies include the world-famous brands Volvo and Saab. Norway is also among the leaders in arms exports, increasing its share from 0.3% in 2019 to 0.8% in 2024. Denmark also entered the top 30 main importers of weapons: the kingdom increased its share in the global market from 0.2% in 2019 to almost 1% in 2024.

Historical reasons and the perception of Russia as an enemy play an important role. For example, Sweden has fought with Russia more than 10 times (according to some sources — 16), the Swedish elite has always perceived our country as an existential threat. Denmark's anti-Russian position is largely due to its close ties with the United Kingdom, which currently does not demonstrate readiness for dialogue with Russia, Vadim Trukhachev, associate professor at the Russian State University of Economics, told Izvestia.

— Sweden, Denmark and Finland are the three countries with the fewest Russophiles in the world, even in Poland and the Baltic States there are more of them. The situation is slightly better in Norway, which is an average option by European standards," the expert noted.

Despite their Russophobia, the inhabitants of the three kingdoms are not eager to personally fight on the side of the Ukrainian Armed Forces. In particular, according to the Russian Defense Ministry, since February 2022, only 88 mercenaries from Sweden, 69 "soldiers of fortune" from Denmark and 61 Norwegians have arrived in Ukraine. The idea of sending troops to Ukraine for an imminent conflict with Russia enjoys the support of no more than 10% of the population, Trukhachev believes. There is no consensus on this initiative in the EU, for example, Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni called the proposal of France and Britain to send peacekeepers to Ukraine difficult, risky and ineffective.

Against the background of the dialogue between the United States and Russia, Europe as a whole (with the exception of several countries) does not engage in contacts with Moscow and continues its anti-Russian course. In particular, in February, the EU adopted the 16th package of sanctions and began preparations for the 17th. Nevertheless, the change in the American position has shaken the unity of the European bloc. Against this background, French President Emmanuel Macron attempted to seize leadership among the European members of NATO. He said that Rafale fighter jets with supersonic nuclear warheads will be deployed at an airbase on the border with Germany in 2035. Earlier, the leader of the Fifth Republic spoke about the need to deploy the French "nuclear umbrella" over Europe.

Despite the efforts of Brussels, on March 17, the foreign ministers of the EU countries did not agree on a package of assistance to Ukraine worth €40 billion. European Commissioner for Foreign Policy Kaya Kallas previously proposed "to provide military support to Ukraine in 2025 in the amount of at least €20 billion, and potentially up to €40 billion, depending on the needs" of Kiev. The plan also includes providing it with 2 million artillery shells this year worth €5 billion. According to AFP, Hungary, as well as France, Italy and Spain are against this initiative. There is also a discussion in other EU countries about continuing assistance to Kiev. According to the agreement on the budget for 2025, Germany should allocate about €4 billion for military support to Ukraine, which is two times less than in 2024.

If the EU fails to approve an increase in support for Kiev, then the so-called coalition of the "willing" under the leadership of France and the United Kingdom will step in. According to British Prime Minister Keir Starmer, it could potentially include more than 30 countries, including Denmark, Sweden and Norway. Norway is not a member of the EU, like the UK, but it closely coordinates its policy with Brussels, Trukhachev stressed.