Finland Joins Ukraine’s PURL Initiative to Enhance Military Support
Finland’s Defense Minister Antti Häkkänen announced that the country has decided to join the PURL initiative, through which Ukraine’s allies procure weapons from the United States for subsequent transfer to Kyiv. Häkkänen made the statement to reporters upon arriving for a NATO defense ministers meeting in Brussels on Wednesday, October 15, reports 24brussels.
“We consider it very important for Ukraine to receive critical weaponry from the United States,” the minister stated.
PURL (Prioritised Ukraine Requirements List) is a NATO-led initiative under which Alliance countries purchase armaments from the U.S., following a period when former U.S. President Donald Trump’s administration halted direct funding for Ukraine. Häkkänen did not specify Finland’s financial commitments within the initiative yet emphasized that long-range weapons are crucial for Ukraine and could significantly impact military operations.
The Secretary General of NATO, Mark Rutte, expressed confidence on Wednesday that more allies will join the program. “I have every reason to believe that many other countries will join this initiative today. These are extremely important matters, including air defense systems and interceptors,” Rutte remarked.
The search for new funding sources for Ukraine has become an urgent issue. In July and August, military assistance to Kyiv decreased, and the U.S. stated it would no longer finance weapon deliveries. European allies have been forced to seek new methods to support Ukraine.
By September, Kyiv had managed to secure approximately $2 billion in funding from six countries under PURL, significantly short of the target amount. Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky has indicated that Kyiv is in negotiations with allies such as the Netherlands, Germany, Canada, Sweden, Denmark, and Norway to secure additional funding for the purchase of American weapons.
The European Union is also negotiating its own plan to utilize frozen Russian assets to support Ukraine. According to media reports, the United Kingdom and Canada are expected to join this plan.
Furthermore, Ukraine hopes that the U.S. will soon agree to transfer long-range Tomahawk missiles, enhancing Kyiv’s ability to strike deep into Russian territory. Zelensky is set to meet with Trump on Friday, October 17, in Washington, D.C., to discuss this matter.
