Washington: Washington has called on its NATO partners to increase defense spending by purchasing more American-made weapons for Ukraine, as part of a new funding channel aimed at sustaining Kyiv’s military resistance against Russia.
US Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth, speaking alongside NATO Secretary-General Mark Rutte on Tuesday, urged allied nations to contribute more resources through the Prioritized Ukraine Requirements List (PURL), a program designed to help countries directly finance US weapons for Ukraine.
The initiative comes as Western aid to Kyiv has seen a notable decline in recent months. Washington hopes the PURL mechanism will enable European and other partners to shoulder a greater share of the burden in supplying advanced arms and ammunition.
Under this system, allies can fund purchases of key American-made defense systems, including Patriot missile components and HIMARS rocket launchers. The Netherlands has already pledged about 500 million euros to the initiative, while several other European nations are expected to follow suit.
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky recently said that allies have collectively secured around 1.5 billion dollars through PURL contributions, with the fund expected to grow to nearly 3.5 billion dollars by the end of the year. These funds are crucial for replenishing air defense and long-range strike capabilities as Ukraine faces continued Russian bombardment.
The United States has also approved the potential sale of air-launched cruise missiles and related equipment worth 825 million dollars to bolster Ukraine’s strike capacity. However, deliveries of longer-range weapons such as Tomahawk cruise missiles remain uncertain amid political and logistical concerns.
Officials acknowledge that while the PURL mechanism has gained traction, global production limits and competing security demands may slow the pace of deliveries. Meanwhile, NATO and the United States continue to emphasize the importance of collective action to ensure Ukraine’s defense efforts remain strong through the coming winter.
Defense analysts say the success of the initiative will depend on whether allied pledges translate quickly into tangible support. The upcoming NATO defense ministers’ meeting is expected to reveal how much momentum the program has gathered and whether Europe is ready to take on a larger role in sustaining the flow of weapons to Kyiv.