The US is planning to ask NATO allies to contribute more money to the Prioritized Ukraine Requirements List (PURL), a key weapons-delivery program for Ukraine, according to people familiar with the matter. The request could come as soon as this month to address a funding gap of about $2 billion for already-approved weapons packages. The US has continued delivering weapons even before allies have provided the payment, and the shortfall could grow if the Pentagon decides to make more deliveries.
The PURL initiative is the cornerstone of NATO efforts to shore up Ukraine’s defense, allowing allies to pay for US weapons that are then sent to Kyiv. Previous shipments have included crucial air defense items and other military equipment. The new funding push suggests the Pentagon hasn’t allowed the heated rhetoric between Washington and Kyiv to interfere with the crucial role American defense firms play in providing Ukraine with weapons.
The disconnect between the defense assistance and Trump’s comments has created confusion among US allies, and at times made it more difficult to persuade allies to pay for new weapons, particularly as Europeans grow wary of funding a war that has dragged into its fifth year. Several key European nations — including Spain, France and Italy — are also holding elections this year or next. Last month, the US threatened to halt PURL deliveries in response to Ukrainian strikes on Russian energy infrastructure, according to people familiar.
The threat wasn’t carried out and the program continued operating, the people said. Separate from the PURL initiative, the State Department on Friday approved a $2.1 billion foreign military sale of Patriot missiles to Kyiv, paid for by donations from Canada, Germany, Norway, and the European Union.
Source: Bloomberg Markets · Summarized by HeadlinesBriefing