Sweden will halt development assistance to several African and Latin American countries and redirect the funds to support Ukraine, the government said, citing mounting financial pressure and security priorities.
Aid to Tanzania, Mozambique, Zimbabwe, Liberia and Bolivia will be phased out from August 31, 2026, Minister for International Development Cooperation and Foreign Trade Benjamin Dousa told a press briefing on Friday.
The decision will free up about 2 billion Swedish kronor (US$212 million), which Stockholm plans to channel toward Ukraine’s war effort following Russia’s invasion.
“Financial pressure is enormous, but it is our duty and obligation to support Ukraine,” Dousa said.
He added that the redirected funds would not be used for humanitarian assistance, but instead to purchase US-manufactured weapons through the Prioritized Ukraine Requirements List, a mechanism that allows allies to finance military equipment for Kyiv.
“There isn’t a secret printing press for banknotes for aid purposes and the money has to come from somewhere,” the minister said.
As part of the shift, Sweden will also close its embassies in Bolivia, Liberia and Zimbabwe, which Dousa said are primarily focused on development cooperation rather than diplomatic or trade activities.
The move comes amid growing pressure on European governments to increase military and financial support for Ukraine, nearly four years after the start of the conflict.
Last month, NATO Secretary General Mark Rutte said several member states including Sweden, Denmark, Finland, Norway, Iceland, Latvia, Lithuania and Estonia would jointly provide a 430 million euro (US$500 million) military aid package for Ukraine.
Sweden has steadily expanded its support for Kyiv since 2022, supplying weapons, training and financial assistance, while also increasing defence spending at home.
However, the decision to cut aid to some of the world’s poorest countries has drawn criticism from humanitarian organisations.
Cecilia Chatterjee-Martinsen, international director of Save the Children Sweden, warned that the move could have “catastrophic consequences for the poorest people in the world”.
She said withdrawing long-term development assistance risked undermining gains in health, education and child protection in fragile states already facing food insecurity, climate shocks and conflict.
Sweden has traditionally been one of the world’s most generous aid donors, committing a significant share of its gross national income to development assistance. But the government has signalled a sharper focus on security policy, trade interests and support for Ukraine amid budgetary constraints and shifting geopolitical priorities.
Dousa said Sweden would continue to engage internationally, but stressed that choices had to be made as resources were redirected toward what the government sees as the most urgent strategic needs.
