NATO defence ministers on 15 October will discuss increased assistance to Ukraine within the framework of the Ukraine-NATO Council and the Ukraine Defence Contact Group, in particular the new PURL programme, which involves the purchase of US weapons at the expense of other alliance allies.
“I have every reason to believe today that many other countries will sign up for this extremely important assistance, including air defence systems and in particular interceptor missiles, important for Ukraine to ensure maximum protection of civilians and vital infrastructure against a sustained Russian attack,” NATO Secretary General Mark Rutte said ahead of the meetings.
Asked by reporters how he was confident about the new contributions, the official repeated that he was optimistic and promised specifics by the end of the day.
“Immediately when the programme was launched, we saw the Germans, the Dutch, the Canadians, the Swedes, the Danes and the Norwegians stepping up. But I assure you – I may be able to tell you a little bit more during the press conference – that other countries will perform today. I am sure of that… I am very proud that as a collective alliance we are able to do this so that Ukraine remains as strong as possible in this fight,” Rutte said.
The secretary-general said the possible transfer of US Tomahawk long-range missiles to Ukraine was not part of the discussions today, noting that “this is a bilateral issue.”
Rutte also rejected the comment that allegedly support for Ukraine was dwindling.
“If you look at this year, it’s more or less on average with last year – all the important things are happening. And I’m proud of that,” the NATO Secretary General summarised.
On 14 July, the USA and NATO signed the PURL (Prioritised Ukraine Requirements List) agreement, which provides for sending US weapons to Ukraine at the expense of European countries, NATO coordinates the process.
According to the alliance’s Secretary General Mark Rutte, in the first months after the launch of the PURL project, more than two billion euros were collected. First of all, these funds are used to buy weapons and ammunition that European arms manufacturers do not produce. Among them are air defence systems.
13 NATO countries have already joined the PURL initiative. However, despite the billions raised, the pace of funding has slowed down, and some major economies – Great Britain, France, Italy, Spain and Poland – are still outside the initiative.