He comes to present his victory plan to the Nordic countries. Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky arrived in Iceland on Monday October 28 to meet representatives of Finland, Denmark, Sweden, Norway and Iceland. Countries that particularly support the Ukrainian war effort against Russia. Analysis by Cédric Coulet, French researcher invited to the Swedish Institute of International Relations.
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RFI: What do the Nordic countries and Ukraine have to say to each other?
Cedric Coulet : We will certainly still have requests for financial support from Ukraine. Requests also to exercise a diplomatic relay within either theNATOorEuropean Union to have guarantees of integration of theUkraine if it were possible that peace could come. Volodymyr Zelensky also seeks guarantees of commitment from the European Union on the sending of military equipment, financial support and a prospect of accession to the Union.
Today, in the North, things have changed a lot geopolitically. The Nordic Cooperation Council now only includes NATO members, since Denmark, Norway, Iceland, Finland and Sweden are all NATO members. Among these countries, three are members of the European Union. These are therefore countries which are committed to the Ukrainian cause and which can be Ukraine’s relays to the international organizations in which they are registered.
Also readThe day Finland and Sweden laid the foundations for a joint NATO candidacy
Why are the Nordic countries important supporters of Ukraine?
For the Nordic countries, Ukraine is a sort of “first field of operations” in the war against Russia. That is to say, they tend to consider that today it is Ukraine and that tomorrow it will be the Baltic States or Finland. Solidarity with Ukraine is almost organic because what happens in Ukraine is seen as likely to happen in the Baltic countries and in the Nordic space, very close geographically to Russia.
Concretely, what support do the Nordic countries provide to Ukraine?
Financial support first. Among the largest donors to Ukraine, we have three Nordic countries: Denmark, Norway and Sweden. Denmark announced an aid plan worth eight billion euros in February 2024, of which four billion have already been allocated. Norway had announced an aid plan of 6.6 billion euros of which 1.2 billion were allocated, and Sweden announced an aid plan of 520 million euros of which 8 million euros have already been allocated. So this actually positions the Nordic countries among the top contributors to the Ukrainian war effort.
Also readSweden supports Ukraine with aid of more than 600 million euros in equipment
For example, if we compare these figures to donations from France proportionally, what does that give?
For a country like Denmark, aid to Ukraine represents 1.8% of its GDP. For France, we are at 0.52% of GDP. So it’s three times more.
What about military aid?
Different types of military equipment have been sent to Ukraine. The latest are Swedish fighter planes: the JAS 39 Gripen. And this solidarity is understood in a logic of perception of a common threat. For example, this Monday, the new Swedish general staff was along the Russian border in Finland to identify possibilities for troop deployment in the event of a Russian invasion.