Ukraine’s embattled skies are set to get a significant boost after Sweden announced a $113 million air defense package, as reported by Svenska Dagbladet. The move, unveiled on December 10, 2025, comes at a critical juncture for the war-torn nation, just one day after Moscow launched its largest drone attack since the start of the invasion. The timing is no coincidence: European leaders are increasingly anxious that ongoing U.S.-mediated peace negotiations could sideline both Ukraine and its continental allies.
Sweden’s latest aid package, worth 1.2 billion Swedish krona (about $113 million), was announced by Prime Minister Ulf Kristersson, Deputy Prime Minister Ebba Busch, and Minister of Education Johan Persson. According to the Swedish government, the package is a direct response to "increasingly intense Russian attacks with missiles, drones and glide bombs," which have created an immediate need for enhanced Ukrainian air defenses. The centerpiece of the package is the Tridon Mk2 anti-aircraft system, designed by BAE Systems to counter drones, cruise missiles, aircraft, and even armored vehicles, protecting both military assets and vital infrastructure.
"I am in Kyiv today. For the past three years, the Ukrainian people have been fighting for freedom and security – theirs and ours. Today, we are announcing 100 million euro to support Ukraine's air defenses. Strengthening Ukraine's capability to defend itself against Russian aggression also increases our security," Kristersson posted on X, formerly known as Twitter, underscoring the broader European stakes in the conflict.
The Swedish government emphasized that this aid is not just about military might. In addition to the Tridon Mk2, the package includes air defense missiles already familiar to Ukrainian forces and portable air defense weapons for individual soldiers. The intent, Stockholm said, is to "meet Russian mass attacks with simple drones and missiles," a capability that will prove crucial whether the fighting drags on or a ceasefire emerges. "Overall, what is now being donated will strengthen the protection of both Ukraine's military, population and civilian infrastructure," the government stated.
Sweden’s support for Ukraine is nothing new. Since the onset of the full-scale Russian invasion in 2022, Stockholm has provided Kyiv with approximately $6.87 billion in military, humanitarian, and civil assistance, according to the Swedish government. The previous military support package, announced on January 30, 2025, was the largest to date at $1.2 billion, as noted by Reuters.
This latest show of solidarity came as Kristersson traveled to Kyiv alongside leaders from Finland, Denmark, Iceland, and Norway, marking the third anniversary of the war. Their presence in the Ukrainian capital was a powerful symbol of Nordic and European unity at a time when the future of Ukraine—and the security of the Euro-Atlantic region—hangs in the balance.
But while Sweden and its allies are doubling down on military support, diplomatic pressure for a negotiated settlement is mounting. On the same day as Sweden’s announcement, former U.S. President Donald Trump revealed that he and European leaders had exchanged "pretty strong words" during a call about his proposal to end the Ukraine war. The call, which included Sir Keir Starmer, France’s Emmanuel Macron, and Germany’s Friedrich Merz, highlighted what Macron called "a critical moment for Ukraine, its people and for shared security across the Euro-Atlantic region."
Trump’s peace plan, according to reports in The Independent and Axios, is both ambitious and controversial. It sets a Christmas 2025 deadline for ending hostilities and reportedly includes major U.S. investments in Russian rare earths and energy sectors, as well as the restoration of Russian energy flows to Europe. The plan also proposes tapping $200 billion in frozen Russian sovereign assets for projects in Ukraine, including a data center powered by the Zaporizhzhia nuclear power plant, now under Russian control. One unnamed European official likened the proposal to "an economic version of the 1945 Yalta conference."
Ukraine, for its part, has officially submitted a point-by-point response to the U.S. peace plan. Rustem Umerov, Ukraine’s national security advisor and chief negotiator, forwarded the response to Trump’s advisor and son-in-law, Jared Kushner, with comments and ideas "to make the whole thing doable." This followed days of consultations with European allies, and a virtual meeting between U.S. and Ukrainian officials was scheduled to continue discussions.
Trump’s approach has raised eyebrows—and hackles—on both sides of the Atlantic. During a two-hour call, U.S. envoy Steve Witkoff and Kushner reportedly pressed Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky to agree to a peace deal within weeks. Trump himself has said Zelensky "has to be realistic" about Ukraine’s position and that the U.S. will "make a determination depending on what they come back with." However, Washington has denied pressuring Kyiv into accepting a deal it dislikes, with an unnamed official telling the Wall Street Journal that the aim is to reach an agreement acceptable to both sides.
Complicating matters further, Trump has called on Ukraine to hold elections, accusing Kyiv of abandoning democracy. "They're using war not to hold an election, but I would think the Ukrainian people ... should have that choice. And maybe Zelensky would win. I don't know who would win," Trump told Politico. But Ukraine has been under martial law since February 2022, and its constitution bars elections during wartime. With about one-fifth of the country under Russian occupation and millions displaced, organizing a nationwide vote is widely seen as logistically impossible and potentially dangerous. Zelensky’s term expired in May 2024, but the constitution allows him to remain in office until a new president is sworn in.
Meanwhile, the war on the ground shows no sign of abating. On December 9, Ukraine launched a massive drone attack on Russia, with Moscow claiming to have downed 287 drones targeting 11 regions, including the capital. The following day, Ukrainian sea drones disabled a tanker involved in trading Russian oil in the Black Sea—a blow to Russia’s "shadow fleet" that helps it skirt sanctions and fund the war. The fighting remains fierce in eastern Ukraine as well, where the reported fall of Pokrovsk, a key town, has not led to a collapse of Ukrainian defenses, but has weakened Kyiv at a delicate moment in the peace talks.
As the diplomatic and military battles rage on, Ukraine’s fate—and the security of Europe—remain tightly intertwined. With new air defenses arriving from Sweden and high-stakes negotiations under way, the next few weeks could prove decisive for the future of the war and the region as a whole.
