Sweden will break its doctrine of not sending arms to countries engaged in an active conflict, the country's prime minister announced Sunday, as the country will send military aid, including anti-tank launchers, helmets and body armor to Ukraine.
"Sweden is now proposing direct support for Ukraine's 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 underlined that the decision to send this kind of military aid is the first time Sweden has sent weapons to a country in an armed conflict since the Soviet Union invaded Finland in 1939.
Finland also announced Sunday that it is considering whether to send weapons to Ukraine directly.
In what would be a departure from its long-standing policy of not allowing weapons to be exported to war zones, Finnish Defense Minister Antti Kaikkonen said.
The minister also said that Finland, which is not a NATO member and shares a long border with Russia, had given the green light to Estonia to send previously Finnish-owned field guns to Ukraine.
Earlier on Sunday, European Union foreign policy chief Josep Borrell proposed the idea to EU foreign ministers that EU funds could be used to send weapons and fuel to Ukraine.
European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen later said the EU will fund arms supplies to Ukraine, ban pro-Kremlin media and impose new sanctions on Belarus.
Asked if Finland would send weapons to Ukraine directly, Kaikkonen said: "We have not ruled that out."
Finland will send defense equipment to Ukraine, including 2,000 bulletproof vests, 2,000 helmets, 100 stretchers and equipment for two emergency medical care stations, a government statement said.
