Supplies of US weapons to Ukraine within the framework of the PURL (Prioritised Ukraine Requirements List) initiative continue, NATO Secretary General Mark Rutte has stressed at the end of the 34th meeting of the Contact Group on Ukraine’s Defence (Ramstein format), a Radio Liberty correspondent has reported. The official welcomed the new contributions announced by the states participating in the meeting.
“Russia is experiencing difficulties on the battlefield. Victory for Vladimir Putin is becoming an increasingly distant dream. We even see a message that he is aware of the difficult state of the economy … Must continue support, because Ukraine’s security is our security,” Rutte said.
Asked about the realism of Ukraine’s stated goal of raising $15 billion for weapons under the PURL this year, Secretary General Rutte said he was optimistic about funding Ukraine’s critical weapons.
“I am optimistic that we will be able to finance the flow of aid from the United States, in particular critical military support for Ukraine, including air defence… On the issue of burden sharing, we could do more. Right now, the main burden is borne by a limited number of countries, but even here we see positive changes,” Rutte emphasised.
Regarding the risks of depleting US weapons stockpiles due to the war in the Middle East, the secretary-general said there was a “broad understanding that we need to act comprehensively: to ensure that all our stockpiles are replenished.”
“We have to increase defence industrial production, but at the same time we have to ensure that Ukraine has everything it needs to keep fighting. Therefore, there is a broad understanding on both sides of the ocean on this issue,” Rutte emphasised.
In the summer of 2025, the US and NATO concluded the PURL (Prioritised Ukraine Requirements List) agreement, which envisages sending US weapons to Ukraine at the expense of European countries, coordinates the NATO process. According to Ukrainian authorities, contributions to the PURL programme totalled $4.3 billion in 2025, including almost $1.5 billion for December.
NATO Secretary General Mark Rutte, who was on a visit to Washington last week, has previously said that critical equipment continues to flow to Ukraine despite the war in Iran. He said the PURL initiative has provided “about 75 per cent of all missiles for Ukraine’s main (Patriot) batteries and 90 per cent of the munitions used in other air defence systems” since the summer of 2025.