Foreign Ministry confirms US approves first batch of weapons for Ukraine under PURL program
Ukrainian Foreign Ministry spokesman Heorhiy Tykhy confirmed the information about the US approval of the first batch of weapons for Ukraine under the new NATO mechanism called PURL ("Priority Needs List of Ukraine").
"We have seen media reports as of now that the first deliveries under the PURL program have been allocated. We are, of course, waiting for official information, but we welcome this decision. It confirms that the PURL mechanism is working. This is an important mechanism," he said at a briefing in Kyiv on Wednesday.
According to Tykhy, yesterday he received confirmation from the Ukrainian Embassy in the United States regarding this information. "That is, we really have information not only from the media, but we can confirm it," he said.
The spokesman stressed that Ukraine's defense needs are high during the war. The Foreign Ministry expects that partners will continue to fill PURL with additional contributions, and Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy is keeping this issue under personal control.
"This is a very good, mutually beneficial interaction for us, our European partners, and the United States," Tykhy stressed.
At the same time, the Foreign Ministry did not comment on the possible timeframe for the receipt of the said assistance, noting that for Ukraine "it is extremely important that they arrive as soon as possible."
"The sooner, the better. As for the specific terms or confirmation of the receipt of these packages, it is probably worth asking our military, who are monitoring this process," the spokesman added.
Earlier, Reuters, citing sources, wrote that the White House Administration on Tuesday, September 16, approved the first arms assistance to Ukraine paid for by allies within the framework of the PURL initiative. As the agency's employees told us, US Deputy Secretary of Defense for Policy Elbridge Colby approved two deliveries worth $500 million within the framework of a new mechanism called PURL.
Previously, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said that more than $2 billion had already been received under the PURL program.