STOCKHOLM, June 20 (Chatnewstv.com) — Sweden announced new funding to support Ukraine’s path to European Union membership, pledging to boost Kyiv’s negotiating capacity through targeted training for civil servants and diplomats involved in EU accession talks.
The Swedish Government said Wednesday it had allocated 3 million kronor (about 260,000 euros) to the Stockholm School of Economics to run an 18-month negotiation training program for Ukrainian officials. The initiative, launched in Kyiv on May 30, is being carried out in partnership with the Diplomatic Academy of Ukraine and Deputy Prime Minister Olha Stefanishyna, who leads the country’s EU negotiations.
“Sweden continues to stand by Ukraine’s side on its path towards EU membership, because it belongs in the EU family,” said Minister for International Development Cooperation and Foreign Trade Benjamin Dousa. “The new support will enable the training of civil servants who can strengthen Ukraine’s reform efforts and bring the country into the EU.”
The project builds on an existing collaboration between the Stockholm School of Economics and Ukrainian institutions, and is now expanding to include more participants and closer coordination with Ukraine’s senior negotiating team.
The training is part of Sweden’s broader reconstruction and reform strategy for Ukraine, covering the period from 2023 to 2027. Adopted last year, the strategy represents Sweden’s largest-ever bilateral development assistance commitment and is implemented by the Swedish International Development Cooperation Agency, the Swedish Institute, and the Folke Bernadotte Academy.
Ukraine applied for EU membership just days after Russia’s full-scale invasion in February 2022 and was granted candidate status in June 2023. Sweden said Ukraine’s efforts to move forward under wartime conditions reflect both the importance of EU membership to Kyiv and the country’s strategic role in European stability.
“The strategy contributes to Ukraine’s EU integration and enhances the country’s freedom, resilience and economic prosperity,” the Swedish government said.
