Nordics and Poland pledge more support for Ukraine

Nordic and Baltic states and Poland said they would in the coming months step up support for Ukraine, including to the country's defence industry, and invest in making more ammunition available.

The leaders were meeting at the Swedish government's country retreat in Harpsund, southwest of Stockholm, for talks covering transatlantic relations, regional security cooperation and a common policy on the war in Ukraine.

“We will enhance our efforts, including to defend industrial production in Ukraine and invest to increase Ukraine's ammunition supplies,” Swedish Prime Minister Ulf Kristersson told a press conference.

The election of Donald Trump to a second presidential term has raised questions about the United States' commitment to supporting Ukraine in its war against Russia and about Washington's role in NATO.

“Today I will warn everyone against the illusion that agreeing to Russian conditions of a ceasefire such as a neutral Ukraine, demilitarised, accepting the hitherto annexation of Ukrainian territory would stabilise the situation in the whole region and prevent us from the threat of World War Three. Quite the opposite,” Polish Prime Minister Donald Tusk said.

Many analysts believe that Europe will have to spend more on its own defence and on bolstering Ukraine's military effort after Trump is inaugurated in January.

“Just a week ago I visited Kyiv once again. The people of Ukraine have now been under full-scale attack for more than 1,000 days. The countries standing on the stage today are at the very forefront of support for Ukraine. And we know that the decisions we have taken are not enough," said Danish Prime Minister Mette Frederiksen.

The Nordic and Baltic countries - several of which share a border with Russia - are among Ukraine's biggest backers.

Aid from the Nordics, Baltics and Poland totals around 24 billion euros, according to the Kiel Institute's Ukraine Support Tracker, second only to the United States in absolute terms.