US expects NATO members to announce new pledges to buy US weapons for Ukraine on 12 February
The United States is expecting NATO member states to announce new pledges to purchase American weapons for Ukraine under the Prioritised Ukraine Requirements List (PURL) programme when NATO defence ministers meet in Brussels on 12 February.
Source: US Ambassador to NATO Matthew Whitaker speaking to journalists on 10 February, as reported by a European Pravda correspondent
Details: Funding updates regarding the PURL initiative, through which European and other NATO allies purchase US-made weapons for Ukraine, are expected on 12 February.
"In approximately six months since its launch, allies have pledged to buy over US$4.5 billion in American weapons to address Ukraine's urgent battlefield needs, and we expect more announcements at the ministerial [meeting]," Whitaker said.
He said "21 NATO allies and two partners publicly have pledged support" for the initiative.
"Through PURL, allies are taking over financial responsibility for Europe's long-term security assistance to Ukraine," he added.
Background:
- Whitaker also named the three countries that have bought the most US weapons for Ukraine under the PURL programme: Germany, the Netherlands and Norway.
- NATO Secretary General Mark Rutte pledged during a visit to Ukraine that he would find more than US$15 billion to purchase weapons for Ukraine's Armed Forces under the PURL programme.
- Rutte also said that 90% of the missiles Ukraine uses for air defence have arrived through the PURL programme.
- Disruptions in supplies of air defence missiles remain a sensitive issue for Kyiv. Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy criticised Europe at Davos over problems in this area.
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