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Press release from Ministry for Foreign Affairs

Support for Ukraine, security cooperation and Sweden’s neighbourhood in the spotlight in this year’s Statement of Foreign Policy

Published

Today, 12 February, Minister for Foreign Affairs Maria Malmer Stenergard presented the Government’s 2025 Statement of Foreign Policy in the Riksdag. The Government’s foremost foreign policy priorities are support to Ukraine, security cooperation, and gender equality and women’s empowerment.

The Statement, which summarises the Government’s foreign policy priorities for 2025, contains a number of focus areas.

“This year’s Statement of Foreign Policy is being presented in a difficult security era. We – Sweden, the EU and NATO – are in the midst of a long-term confrontation with Russia. Russia will continue to pose a serious threat to the security of Europe, regardless of the outcome of the war in Ukraine. Our task is inescapable: we will constrain Russia’s capability to do us harm, particularly through our support to Ukraine,” says Ms Stenergard. 

Support to Ukraine is the Government’s top foreign policy priority. Sweden has increased its support to Ukraine for each year of the war. Overall support since the start of Russia’s full-scale invasion totals around SEK 70 billion. 

For Sweden, support to Ukraine is a moral obligation and an indispensable investment in Europe’s and – by extension – our own security, independence and freedom,” continues Ms Stenergard. 

The Statement further emphasises that Sweden will continue to build security together with others, particularly as a member of NATO and the EU. As members of both, we are now strengthening our resilience against attempts to destabilise our societies, such as cyberattacks, disinformation and sabotage of critical infrastructure.

Ms Stenergard also stresses that gender equality is a core value of Sweden’s foreign policy. 

“In 2025, Sweden holds the Presidency of the UN Women Executive Board. In this role, we will advance global gender equality efforts and highlight the importance of women’s economic empowerment,” says Ms Stenergard. 

Press contact

Susan Vo Bergqvist
Press Secretary to Minister for Foreign Affairs Maria Malmer Stenergard
Phone (switchboard) +46 8 405 10 00
Mobile +46 76-130 95 62
email to Susan Vo Bergqvist

The Statement of Foreign Policy

The Statement of Foreign Policy contains the Government’s foreign policy objectives and priorities for the year. It is normally presented in connection with the foreign policy debate in the Riksdag, which takes place once a year.

You can see Maria Malmer Stenergard's presentation and the foreign policy debate on the Riksdag website.

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