Trump claims US no longer funds Ukraine, says NATO covers cost
Donald Trump, President of the US (photo: Getty Images)
US President Donald Trump once again commented that the US no longer spends money on aid to Ukraine. According to him, America is even making a profit from supplying arms to Kyiv, which are funded by other NATO members, referencing a White House broadcast.
Trump noted that Washington is now not giving away weapons for free, as was the case under his predecessor Joe Biden, but, on the contrary, is even making a profit from supplying its arms to Ukraine.
“You know, we're not spending any money on the war. We're selling to NATO. We're not being ripped off like we were under Biden. Biden was handing everybody everything we had, giving us giving them all the missiles, everything they wanted free, no charge, or just he had no idea what he was doing,” the American leader said.
He also added that now they are paying in full, and NATO is transferring the money to the US.
“They're paying top dollar full price for everything goes to NATO, and then NATO distributes it. NATO pays us. So we're not. It's not money,” Trump summarized.
Ukraine does indeed receive American weapons, but through the PURL system - a mechanism within NATO created for the regular transfer of weapons, ammunition, and military equipment to Kyiv, funded by the collective resources of alliance countries.
How PURL works
- NATO countries do not supply weapons directly from their own stockpiles; instead, they transfer them through a shared coordination platform.
- The system allows the workload to be distributed: who provides what, on what timeline, and in what quantities.
- Funding and compensation are shared among allies so that no single country bears disproportionate costs.
What is supplied through PURL
- Large-caliber ammunition
- Air defense systems and their missiles
- Armored vehicles
- Communications, intelligence, and electronic warfare equipment
- Repair and logistics resources
Why it matters
PURL allows NATO to support Ukraine systematically rather than sporadically, ensuring the long-term sustainability of military aid.
More than half of the Alliance countries participate in the PURL system. However, as previously reported, Italy may not join NATO’s weapon procurement program for Ukraine, citing ongoing negotiations for a possible ceasefire.
