Will Ukraine get Tomahawks? US announces new weapons deliveries under PURL program
Photo: Matthew Whitaker (Getty Images)
New announcements on weapons deliveries to Ukraine through NATO’s PURL program are expected this week. The program involves procuring arms from the US, states US Ambassador to NATO Matthew Whitaker, according to La Repubblica.
US Ambassador to NATO Matthew Whitaker is confident that announcements on new weapons deliveries to Ukraine under the PURL program will come this week.
"Yes — and yes," Whitaker told journalists when asked whether new commitments under PURL should be expected this week, and whether he agrees that NATO’s Southern European allies should participate more actively in the project.
"Thanks to PURL, President Trump enabled our NATO European allies, as well as Canada, to purchase the world’s best US weapons and ammunition and transfer them to Ukraine. Ukraine needs this, it wants this, and we must ensure the continuity of deliveries so that allies engage more actively in procurement," the diplomat added.
Whitaker noted that the PURL mechanism "currently works steadily and effectively."
"Recently, several more countries announced their intention to join. This followed previous statements by Canada, the Netherlands, Germany, as well as a joint pledge from Denmark, Norway, and Sweden. I urge those countries that have not yet joined to do so now," Whitaker emphasized.
He believes that Ukraine must receive everything it needs for its defense, and that the fastest and most practical way for allies to help is to invest in PURL.
"This program is vital, and allies must act immediately to increase pressure on Russia, forcing it to come to the negotiating table and agree to peace," Whitaker said.
Yesterday, President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said there are currently three options for financing the delivery of long-range Tomahawk missiles to Ukraine.
"One option is the NATO PURL program. Through it, we are working; NATO is working. NATO purchases weapons of various kinds from the US with its own funds and then delivers to us what we need," the president said.
What is PURL
The PURL (Prioritized Ukraine Requirements List) mechanism is a joint US–NATO program aimed at speeding up weapons deliveries to Ukraine. Under this initiative, Kyiv compiles a list of its most urgent weapons needs and submits it to allies.
Partners fund the purchase of US-made weapons that meet these requests. The money is transferred to a special NATO account, after which the United States carries out direct arms deliveries.
Tomahawk missiles for Ukraine
US President Donald Trump recently stated that the decision to transfer long-range Tomahawk missiles to Ukraine has effectively already been made.
Commenting on this, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy expressed hope that receiving such missiles would force Russia to "sober up" and return to the negotiating process.
Russia reacted hysterically to the news, calling it a "major blow" to "Russian-American relations." Kremlin spokesperson Dmitry Peskov claimed that supplying Tomahawks could allegedly trigger "a new escalation," as "these missiles may be equipped with nuclear warheads."
President Putin himself stated that Russia plans to strengthen its air defense system in response to reports of a potential transfer of long-range Tomahawk missiles to Ukraine.
For more details on what underlies the decision regarding Tomahawks and whether the Ukrainian Armed Forces will actually receive US strategic missiles, see the RBC-Ukraine material.
