Sweden has not ruled out joining peacekeeping mission in Ukraine

Pål Jonson, Sweden's Defence Minister, has not ruled out his country's participation in a potential peacekeeping mission in Ukraine.

Asked about Sweden’s potential participation in a peacekeeping mission in Ukraine amidst discussions of deploying peacekeepers to monitor a possible ceasefire, Jonson said he did not "exclude that possibility."

Jonson highlighted in an interview with Kyiv Independent that Sweden already has a presence in Ukraine through its defence procurement agency, which collaborates with the Ukrainian government on military equipment purchases. 

He also mentioned that Sweden is open to the possibility of conducting military exercises on Ukrainian territory.

The idea of a peacekeeping mission in Ukraine has been gaining traction recently. Earlier, the EU’s chief diplomat Kaja Kallas commented on the proposal, which was also mentioned by Finland’s president and the Dutch foreign minister. However, they acknowledged that the concept is still at the blueprint stage. 

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy stated that the idea of deploying a peacekeeping mission in Ukraine had been discussed during meetings in Brussels.