US seeks more NATO funding for Ukraine weapons — Bloomberg
Photo: US President Donald Trump (Getty Images)
The US plans to ask its NATO allies to provide additional funding for arms purchases for Ukraine. Currently, the funding shortfall for the agreed-upon packages amounts to $2 billion, Bloomberg reports.
According to the agency's sources, who are familiar with the course of closed-door discussions, Washington may send the relevant request as early as this month. The US has already made it clear to some of its allies that it plans to ask them for additional funding.
This refers to the PURL program, under which partners pay for weapons from the US, which are then transferred to the Ukrainian army.
It is not yet known exactly how much the United States hopes to receive. At the same time, according to Bloomberg's sources, there is a shortfall of about $2 billion for already approved arms packages.
The US continues to supply weapons to Ukraine even if its allies have not yet transferred funds to pay for them. As a result, the funding shortfall could grow, especially if the Pentagon decides to increase the volume of deliveries.
The agency emphasizes that Washington's intentions to secure additional funding indicate that the US continues to participate in arms deliveries to Ukraine, despite tensions in relations between US President Donald Trump and Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy.
Shortage of Patriot missiles in Ukraine
The issue of US Patriot missile deliveries has recently become one of the most pressing in Ukraine's relations with the United States.
In October, Volodymyr Zelenskyy stated that Ukraine was receiving only about 12 such missiles per month, and that Washington had not yet approved some of the deliveries that had already been paid for.
Later, Zelenskyy announced that the US had approved the potential sale of 500 PAC-3 interceptor missiles to Ukraine for $2.1 billion.
However, these missiles may not arrive for several years, so Ukraine has asked its partners to provide ammunition from their own stockpiles as early as this winter. The President has estimated the minimum requirement for this period at 100 missiles per month.
Meanwhile, European allies are exploring ways to strengthen Ukraine's air defense.
In particular, Germany and the United Kingdom are working to source additional missiles for the Patriot system from their partners' stockpiles. NATO, meanwhile, has assured that deliveries of weapons paid for by European countries under the PURL program are proceeding without delay.
