Swedish Prime Minister Magdalena Andersson handed over to Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky a copy of a letter from King Charles XII recognizing Zaporizhia Sich as an independent state.

"I am handing over a copy of a letter from the National Archives of Sweden, written in 1711. King Charles XII wrote a letter about Pylyp Orlyk. There he gives instructions to the Swedish ambassador to recognize Zaporizhia Sich as an independent state. So that there would be no harassment from the Moscow tsar," she said at a press conference and in Kyiv after talks with the President of Ukraine.

"I think it fits well into the modern context. Some 300 years have passed, and we see that one of our successful projects in Ukraine is municipal self–government and also democratic processes," Andersson stressed.

"The Russian aggression must end. We must end this war by supporting Ukraine and sanctions against Russia. And this should continue as long as necessary. There is a simple way to end this war – Russia must stop and go home," she said.

"Today I saw not only the ruins, but also the courage of the Ukrainian people under your leadership," the Swedish Prime Minister stressed.