Sweden will break its doctrine of do not send weapons to countries engaged in a active conflict, the country prime minister announced On Sunday, as the country sends military help, including anti-tank launchers, helmets and body armor to Ukraine.
“Sweden now offers support for Ukrainian Armed Forces. It includes 135,000 field rations, 5,000 helmets, 5,000 body shields and 5,000 anti-tank weapons,” Prime Minister Magdalena Andersson told a news conference.
Andersson pointed out that the decision send this kind of military help is there first times Sweden sent weapons to a country in an armed conflict since the Soviet Union invaded Finland in 1939.
Finland also announced on Sunday that he plans to send arms to Ukraine directly.
In what would be a break from its longstanding tradition policy of not allowing arms to be exported to war zones, Finnish Defense Minister Antti Kaikkonen said.
the minister also says that Finland, which is not a member of NATO and shares a long border with Russia, had given the green light in Estonia to send field guns previously belonging to Finland to Ukraine.
Earlier on Sunday, Foreign European Union policy Chief Josep Borrell proposed the idea to EU foreign ministers that EU funds could be used to send arms and fuel to Ukraine.
European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen later said the EU would fund the supply of arms to Ukraine and ban pro-Kremlin media and impose new punishments on Belarus.
Asked if Finland would send arms to Ukraine directlyKaikkonen said: “We have not ruled that out.”
Finland will send defense equipment to Ukraine, including 2,000 bullet-proof vests, 2,000 helmets, 100 stretchers and equipment for two emergency medical stations, one government statement said.
