Sweden Promises More Support For Ukraine

What You Need To Know:

✓ “Medieval grabbing of land of a neighboring country is something that Swedes and Swedish politicians reacted very strongly to;”

✓ Apart from Sweden’s ongoing political support, the country has allocated 20-25 Million Euros to fund SIDA programs in Ukraine;

 ✓A key priority for Ukraine in 2016: strengthen the rule of law;

✓ On the Minsk Agreement: “only game in town…the only roadmap we have in ending the conflict.”

Sweden, a long-time advocate for Ukraine, continues to show its ongoing support for the country’s territorial integrity and independence. ”If there is one notion which is very important both to Swedish people and to Swedish politicians it’s International law,” says Andreas von Beckerath, Sweden’s Ambassador to Ukraine. “Medieval grabbing of land of a neighboring country is something that Swedes and Swedish politicians reacted very strongly to,” he adds on Russia’s illegal annexation of Crimea and continued involvement in the war in the East. Apart from Sweden’s ongoing political support, the country has allocated 20-25 Million Euros to fund SIDA programs in Ukraine.

According to the Swedish Ambassador, Ukraine’s fight against corruption has been weak, and a key priority in 2016 should be to improve the judicial system: “In order to convince investors to make big investments into Ukraine, for that to happen you have to strengthen the rule of law. The justice system has to be more independent, more efficient and less corrupt.”

Since arriving to Ukraine in September 2013, Von Beckerath has been impressed not only with the courage and resilience of demonstrators during the Maidan Revolution, but also with certain achievements within the political system. These accomplishments include macroeconomic stabilization, decentralization, and transparency reforms.

When asked about the Minsk Agreement, Von Beckereth states that it is the “only game in town…the only roadmap we have in ending the conflict.” While he believes that there is no ideal peace deal, and that it has been difficult for Ukraine to uphold its end due to ongoing ceasefire violations, it is important that Ukraine continues to show willingness to implement its part in the Minsk Agreement.

Hromadske’s Volodymyr Yermolenko spoke to Andreas von Beckerath, Swedish Ambassador to Ukraine in March of 2016 in Kyiv.