Stockholm is unwilling or unable to fulfill Turkey’s requirements, which it put forward as a condition for approving Sweden’s bid to join NATO, Scandinavian Prime Minister Ulf Kristersson said.
“Turkey confirms that we have fulfilled the conditions we agreed to. But the Turks also want things that we cannot or do not want to give them,” the Swedish prime minister was quoted as saying by Western media on Sunday.
At the same time, Christersson expressed confidence that Turkey would agree to Sweden’s membership in the alliance.
The protocols for Finland and Sweden to join the North Atlantic Council were signed by NATO countries on July 5, 2022. These states will join NATO as soon as all members of the alliance ratify the accession protocols. Of the 30 NATO nations, Sweden and Finland’s membership in the alliance has not been ratified by Turkey and Hungary.
Turkey has blocked the accession process, demanding that the Nordic countries declare Kurdish organizations terrorist and extradite those accused of terrorism, as well as lift the ban on arms supplies to Ankara.
Finnish Defense Minister Antti Kaikkonen suggested in late December that his country would become a member of the alliance by the Vilnius NATO summit of July 11-12, 2023.
Sweden will become the fourth European country ready to provide Ukrainian road builders with temporary bridge structures for the resumption of traffic, First Deputy Head of Ukravtodor Andriy Ivko has said.
“Sweden has begun the process of providing assistance to Ukraine to supply critically needed six modular bridges. Currently, preparations are underway to organize transportation,” Ivko said in an interview with the CFTS.
He said that in addition to Sweden, Ukraine received bridge structures from the Czech Republic, France and Norway. And the Czech Republic, in addition to the six temporary bridges already sent to Ukraine, plans to transfer another 12 bridges.
Swedish Prime Minister Magdalena Andersson said on Monday that Sweden will provide another SEK500 million ($46.75 million) in military aid to Ukraine to help it defend itself against a Russian invasion, Reuters reported on Tuesday.
After talks with Ukrainian Foreign Minister Dmitry Kuleba, Andersson told reporters that her government would give Ukraine an additional SEK1 billion aid package – both military and civilian. She did not give details of the military package, but said it would be similar to previous aid, which, according to the newspaper, included anti-tank weapons, personal protective equipment and demining equipment.
“We will continue to support Ukraine while the war is going on,” Andersson said.
The civilian portion of the package will include purchases of Ukrainian wheat, which will be given to food-insecure countries and help boost Ukraine’s economy.
The report noted that during the meeting, Kuleba urged Sweden to provide Ukraine with howitzers and shells. “While the war is going on, we will ask for more weapons… Every euro, every bullet, every shell counts,” he told reporters.
The National Bank of Sweden and the National Bank of Ukraine (NBU) will launch a program for Ukrainian refugees to exchange hryvnia cash for Swedish krona approximately from June 15, the NBU press service reported on Thursday.
According to the report, adult Ukrainians registered in Sweden will be able to exchange hryvnia in 53 branches of the Forex company in the amount of up to UAH 10,000 per person.
Denominations of UAH 100, UAH 200, UAH 500 and UAH 1,000 will be accepted for exchange.
As reported, Germany from May 24, and Belgium from June 1 launched a program for exchanging cash hryvnia for euros.
President of Ukraine Volodymyr Zelensky had a conversation with Prime Minister of Sweden Magdalena Andersson.
“I spoke with Swedish Prime Minister Magdalena Andersson. He spoke about the critical situation in Mariupol. We discussed defense support for Ukraine, strengthening anti-Russian sanctions. I thanked for supporting Ukraine’s accession to the EU,” Zelensky wrote on Twitter.
President of Ukraine Volodymyr Zelensky has invited Sweden to take part in the post-war reconstruction of Ukraine.
“I am sure that together we will be able to ensure peace, and therefore we need to think about the restoration of Ukraine after this war right now. And it will happen. I invite Swedish architects, Swedish companies, the Swedish state, your people to take part in this historical project. Ukraine was beautiful, and now it will become great, because such is our people,” Zelensky said, speaking to the Swedish Parliament on Thursday.
“I invite you to demonstrate to the world, to all modern and future generations, that war does not give results, but peace does. And life,” he said.
According to him, Sweden became the first state to which Ukraine offered a “big restoration project.”
“You can take patronage over any city of Ukraine, region or industry for their restoration. I am sure that your leadership will be indispensable. Your technologies, business and love of life, the ability to organize space are in the interests of people,” the president said.
