Rutte: More than half of NATO allies join PURL initiative
NATO Secretary General Mark Rutte says more than half of NATO member states have already joined the PURL initiative to purchase American weapons for Ukraine at the expense of their allies.
He announced this on Wednesday in Brussels at a press conference following a meeting of defense ministers of NATO member countries.
“As we continue to ensure our own defence, we continue to support Ukraine. Their security is linked with ours. This is not just words but is reflected in the support we give to Ukraine. Thanks to funding from Allies, we are providing Ukraine with critical US equipment through the Prioritised Ukraine Requirements List or PURL. It is getting Ukraine the US weapons it really needs to protect its people and to hold the front line. We started off, we started off even strong with six Allies funding the first PURL packages. And today, we heard from Ally after Ally about new contributions. More than half of NATO Allies have now signed up, securing this crucial flow of support for Ukraine,” Rutte said.
The NATO Secretary General announced that Ukrainian Defense Minister Denys Shmyhal and EU High Representative Kaja Kallas also participated in the NATO-Ukraine Council meeting. “We all support the effort, led by the United States, to bring an end to the war against Ukraine, and secure a just and lasting peace. But day after day, night after night, Russia continues to strike Ukraine – targeting its people and civilian infrastructure, including its energy networks, as winter approaches. Leaving people without heat, light and water. Our support for Ukraine is crucial. And it will continue unabated,” Rutte assured.
PURL (Prioritized Ukraine Requirements List) is a US-NATO initiative aimed at providing Ukraine with critical weapons through Alliance member states financing the procurement of American-made weapons and equipment. The mechanism allows partner countries to finance the procurement of such weapons in accordance with a prioritized list of needs defined by Ukraine and agreed upon with the US and NATO.
The initiative allows NATO countries to coordinate contributions so that funding is targeted and rapid. Instead of individual purchases, each country contributes financially to a common package, which the US uses to supply weapons and essential equipment, especially those that cannot be replaced by European equivalents. This significantly reduces the time from identifying needs to receiving ready-made weapons at the front.