Copenhagen, 23 May 2024 (dpa/MIA) - Swedish Prime Minister Ulf Kristersson on Wednesday announced that his country would give Ukraine a further €6.5 billion ($7 billion) in military aid spread over three years to ward off Russia's invasion.

"This support will help fund long term donations of additional military materiel and the purchasing of new materiel for direct supply from the defence sector to Ukraine," Kristersson said addressing Ukrainians as he announced the aid package in Stockholm.

"Ukraine's cause is Sweden's cause," he added in a video shared on social media platform X.

Since the start of the Russian invasion over two years ago, Sweden has already put together 15 packages of military aid for Ukraine, Kristersson said. The new defence aid is to be spread over the years 2024 to 2026.

According to the government in Stockholm, the total promised military and civilian aid from Sweden will thus rise to 100 billion Swedish krona ($9.3 billion).

"With Russia's invasion of Ukraine, the security situation in Europe is the worst since World War II," the government said in a statement.

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky thanked Stockholm for the new aid.

"This is really tangible and will strengthen not only us, not only Ukraine, but the entire European region from the Baltic Sea to the Black Sea," Zelensky said in a video message.

Neutral Sweden joined NATO in the wake of the Russian invasion and is one of Ukraine's biggest supporters.

Photo: dpa