Photo: facebook.com/andrij.sybiha
Twenty-one countries have joined the PURL scheme under which NATO allies finance the purchase of U.S.-made weapons for Ukraine, with total contributions reaching $4.18 billion, Ukrainian Foreign Minister Andriy Sybiha said on Monday.
Sybiha added that the latest meeting at NATO headquarters generated nearly $1 billion in additional commitments for PURL. Five more countries joined the programme, while eight existing participants increased their contributions.
Canada, Germany, the Netherlands, Norway and Poland recently joined PURL, along with NATO partners Australia and New Zealand, which are not members of the alliance.
PURL is a U.S.- and NATO-led mechanism that enables allies to fund the procurement of American weapons and military equipment for Ukraine through pooled contributions. Ukraine submits a list of priority defence needs, which is coordinated within NATO, after which partners finance the purchases.
According to the minister, PURL has already funded four aid packages, including Patriot and HIMARS missiles, some of which have already been delivered to Ukraine. Other participating countries include Spain, Finland, Estonia and Latvia.