Sweden pledges $5.4M to support Ukraine

By Ali Murat Alhas

ANKARA (AA) - Sweden on Wednesday said it would give 50 million Swedish crowns ($5.4 million) to Ukraine in a bid to support the country’s “resilience” amid ongoing tensions with Russia.

In a Twitter post, Foreign Minister Ann Linde said the money will go into the Partnership Fund for Resilient Ukraine, launched with the UK, US, Canada and Switzerland.

"Our unwavering solidarity and support remain steadfast," she said.

This came following Linde’s phone talk with her Ukrainian counterpart Dmytro Kuleba.

Kuleba, for his part, said on Twitter that both countries had always been “reliable friends and partners.”

"Deeply grateful for Sweden’s decision to contribute over $5 mln to Partnership Fund for Resilient Ukraine. This is a valuable contribution to Ukraine’s stability vis-a-vis destabilizing Russian actions," he said.

Ukraine and Russia have been locked in a conflict since hostilities in Donbas broke out in 2014 after Russia illegally annexed the Crimean peninsula.

Russia also recently amassed tens of thousands of troops near Ukraine's borders, prompting fears that the Kremlin could be planning another military offensive against its ex-Soviet neighbor.

Moscow has denied it is preparing to invade and said its troops are there for exercises.