Nordic and Baltic nations pledge to fund US weapons for Ukraine
Photo: Ukraine will receive American weapons with European money (Getty Images)
The Baltic and Northern European countries have pledged to provide Ukraine with funding to purchase American weapons. Alliance Secretary General Mark Rutte expressed confidence that other allies would join the initiative, Bloomberg reports.
Estonian Defense Minister Hanno Pevkur said ahead of a meeting of NATO defense ministers in Brussels that a new funding package could be ready as early as today.
His Finnish counterpart Antti Häkkänen confirmed Finland's participation, stressing that it is extremely important that Ukraine receives critically needed American weapons.
Search for new sources of military aid
The issue of new funding for Ukraine became particularly relevant after military aid was cut in July and August. The US had previously stated that it would no longer pay for weapons supplied. Now, Europe is looking for mechanisms to continue supporting Kyiv.
Ukraine currently receives American weapons through a special procurement program called PURL. It allows Kyiv to purchase US weapons systems, including Patriot missile defense systems, with funds provided mainly by European partners.
Lack of funds and growing threats
Kyiv had already raised about $2 billion from six countries by September. However, this amount is significantly less than what is needed, especially against the backdrop of intensified Russian attacks on energy and civilian infrastructure.
"I have every reason to assume today many other countries will sign up," Mark Rutte said ahead of the meeting in Brussels. "This is crucial stuff including air defense systems and particularly interceptors."
Negotiations and use of frozen assets
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said that Kyiv is negotiating with the Netherlands, Germany, Canada, Sweden, Denmark, and Norway to raise more funds to purchase American weapons.
Meanwhile, the European Union is working on a plan to use frozen Russian assets to provide loans to Ukraine. The amount in question is approximately €200 billion. The United Kingdom and Canada will also join the initiative. EU leaders hope to reach a political agreement on this issue at a summit in Brussels next week.
Possible supply of Tomahawk missiles
Ukraine also hopes that the US will soon approve the transfer of Tomahawk long-range cruise missiles. These weapons will enable Kyiv to launch air strikes on targets deep inside Russia, including Moscow, for the first time.
President Volodymyr Zelenskyy intends to discuss this issue with US President Donald Trump during a meeting in Washington scheduled for Friday.
