Ukraine expects its international partners to allocate at least $1 billion monthly through the PURL initiative for purchasing American weapons via NATO, President Volodymyr Zelenskyy announced in his evening video address.
The PURL initiative represents a coordinated effort by NATO allies to streamline weapons procurement for Ukraine through American defense manufacturers, creating a sustainable monthly funding mechanism for the country’s ongoing defense
Ukraine expects its international partners to allocate at least $1 billion monthly through the PURL initiative for purchasing American weapons via NATO, President Volodymyr Zelenskyy announced in his evening video address.
The PURL initiative represents a coordinated effort by NATO allies to streamline weapons procurement for Ukraine through American defense manufacturers, creating a sustainable monthly funding mechanism for the country’s ongoing defense needs.
The Ukrainian leader thanked partners who joined the program this month, describing it as “a special program that allows buying necessary weapons for Ukraine’s Defense Forces – buying in America.” NATO coordinates the initiative, which has already accumulated over $2 billion in commitments.
Seven countries joined PURL in August: the Netherlands, Norway, Sweden, Denmark, Canada, Belgium, and Latvia.
The president specified that these funds purchase highly effective weapons including Patriot missiles, HIMARS systems, and other defense equipment needed to protect Ukrainian cities.
The program gained significant momentum throughout August. The Netherlands announced its participation on 4 August, followed by Denmark, Norway, and Sweden on 5 August, with their combined assistance exceeding $1 billion at that time. Prime Minister Denys Shmyhal said on 22 August that the NATO mechanism had attracted approximately $1.5 billion in military aid. Canada pledged $500 million to the program on 24 August.
U.S. President Donald Trump is considering sending Ukraine an additional Patriot air defense system, a move that would mark his administration's first major weapons transfer to Kyiv, the Wall Street Journal (WSJ) reported on July 8, citing two defense officials. The report is the latest in a series of contradictory messages from the Trump White House in recent days regarding military aid to Ukraine. While the Pentagon on July 2 announced a halt in weapons shipments to Kyiv due to dwindling U.S.
U.S. President Donald Trump is considering sending Ukraine an additional Patriot air defense system, a move that would mark his administration's first major weapons transfer to Kyiv, the Wall Street Journal (WSJ) reported on July 8, citing two defense officials.
The report is the latest in a series of contradictory messages from the Trump White House in recent days regarding military aid to Ukraine. While the Pentagon on July 2 announced a halt in weapons shipments to Kyiv due to dwindling U.S. stockpiles, Trump later claimed he wasn't responsible for the decision and wanted to send more weapons to Ukraine.
A U.S. defense official told the WSJ that Trump has asked the Pentagon to look into options for supplying Ukraine with more arms, including a Patriot air defense system. Officials are also reportedly exploring whether other nations can send Patriots to Kyiv.
The claim dovetails with recent media reports about the administration's plans to bolster Ukraine's air defenses. Axios reported on July 8 that the White House is pursuing a plan to have Germany sell another Patriot battery to Ukraine, with the U.S. and European allies splitting the cost of the purchase. Sources told the outlet that Trump also pledged to send 10 Patriot interceptor missiles to Kyiv.
If the U.S. provides Ukraine with an additional Patriot system, it would mark the first time Trump has approved a major military aid package to Kyiv that wasn't previously greenlighted by former U.S. President Joe Biden.
Washington has thus far provided Kyiv with three Patriots, a former Pentagon official told the WSJ. Germany has also sent three, while a group of European countries provided one. According to the official, not all systems are in use at the same time due to maintenance issues.
The U.S.-made air defense systems are in high demand around the world. Each system consists of two or three launchers, a radar, a command and control element, and interceptor missiles. Patriot missiles are also in short supply globally: Ukraine faces an urgent need for the munitions amid increased Russian aerial attacks, and the Guardian reported on July 8 that even the U.S. has only 25% of the interceptors required by its defense readiness plans.
According to one of the officials who spoke to the WSJ, the U.S. military would be able to supply an additional Patriot to Ukraine if ordered by the White House.
U.S. President Donald Trump brushed off a reporter's question on July 3 about pausing weapons deliveries to Ukraine, claiming Washington is "giving weapons" to Kyiv. The Pentagon previously confirmed that the U.S. has already halted some military aid shipments to Ukraine in order to conduct what it calls a "capability review" of its own stockpiles. "Why did you pause weapons shipments to Ukraine?" a reporter asked Trump as the president prepared to board Air Force One."We haven't," Trump replied
U.S. President Donald Trump brushed off a reporter's question on July 3 about pausing weapons deliveries to Ukraine, claiming Washington is "giving weapons" to Kyiv.
The Pentagon previously confirmed that the U.S. has already halted some military aid shipments to Ukraine in order to conduct what it calls a "capability review" of its own stockpiles.
"Why did you pause weapons shipments to Ukraine?" a reporter asked Trump as the president prepared to board Air Force One.
Trump then offered a contradictory answer, saying the U.S. is "trying to help" Ukraine while also claiming that former U.S. President Joe Biden depleted the country's weapons stocks with military aid to Kyiv and that Washington must defend its own interests.
"But we've given so many weapons — but we are giving weapons, and we're working with (Ukraine), we're trying to help them," Trump said.
"But we haven't... You know, Biden emptied out our whole country giving them weapons and we have to make sure that we have enough for ourselves."
Trump then asked the reporter which media outlet he represented.
Reports that the U.S. had suddenly paused some weapons shipments — including deliveries of desperately needed air defense missiles — left officials in Kyiv scrambling for answers. Trump's response provides little clarity and even less reassurance to Ukrainians facing increasingly deadly Russian missile attacks night after night.
The decision to halt the shipments "was made to put America's interests first following a (U.S. Defense Department) review of our nation's military support and assistance to other countries across the globe," White House Deputy Press Secretary Anna Kelly said in a statement after Politico broke the story on July 1.
The Washington Post later reported that a shipment of U.S. weapons, including advanced air defense systems and precision missiles, was halted in Poland where it was awaiting delivery to Ukraine.
U.S. State Department Spokesperson Tammy Bruce, like Trump, insisted that the U.S. was not pulling support from Ukraine.
"This is not — I will reinforce this — this is not a cessation of us assisting Ukraine or of providing weapons," Bruce told reporters at a briefing.
"This is one event in one situation, and we'll discuss what else comes up in the future. But be wary of painting too broad a brush there."
Trump's remarks about the weapons shipments followed an update on his July 3 phone call with Russian President Vladimir Putin.
"We had a call. It was a pretty long call. We talked about a lot of things," he said.
The U.S. Defense Department (DOD) has halted shipments of some air defense missiles and other weapons previously promised to Kyiv out of concerns over the size of U.S. stockpiles, Politico reported on July 1, citing sources familiar with the matter. The suspension comes as Ukraine faces a shortage of air defense munitions along with increasingly intense and deadly Russian bombardments. In June 2025, Russia launched 5,337 Shahed-type drones at Ukraine, shattering its previous monthly record. Pent
The U.S. Defense Department (DOD) has halted shipments of some air defense missiles and other weapons previously promised to Kyiv out of concerns over the size of U.S. stockpiles, Politico reported on July 1, citing sources familiar with the matter.
The suspension comes as Ukraine faces a shortage of air defense munitions along with increasingly intense and deadly Russian bombardments. In June 2025, Russia launched 5,337 Shahed-type drones at Ukraine, shattering its previous monthly record.
Pentagon policy chief Elbridge Colby made the decision to pause the aid deliveries after conducting a review of U.S. munitions stocks, three sources told Politico. Colby was reportedly concerned about dwindling levels of artillery rounds, air defense missiles, and precision munitions.
Among the items being held back from Ukraine are Patriot air defense missiles, precision artillery rounds, Hellfire missiles, drones, and other missiles that Ukraine launches from F-16 fighter jets.
Colby made the decision in June, amid a surge in Russian mass aerial attacks against Ukraine. The White House later confirmed the pause.
The Pentagon's decision "was made to put America's interests first following a DOD review of our nation's military support and assistance to other countries across the globe," White House Deputy Press Secretary Anna Kelly said in a statement issued after Politico published the story.
"The strength of the United States Armed Forces remains unquestioned — just ask Iran," she said.
Since his inauguration in January, U.S. President Donald Trump has not approved any additional military aid packages for Ukraine. Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth also announced recently that the U.S. will reduce the total aid it sends to Ukraine in its upcoming defense budget.
At the NATO summit in The Hague in late June, Trump said he would "see" if the U.S. could supply Kyiv with additional missiles for its Patriot systems.
"They (Ukraine) do want to have the anti missiles, as they call them, the Patriots, and we're going to see if we can make some available," he said after meeting with President Volodymyr Zelensky.
"They are very hard to get. We need them too. We are supplying them for Israel, and they are very effective."
But according to a source who spoke to Politico, plans to reduce and redirect air defense munitions and other weapons for Ukraine have been in the works for months. The administration is looking to redirect artillery shells, tank shells, and air defense systems to Israel or back to Washington.
"They have proposed repeatedly since March to pause the shipments," the person said.
Colby, the reported architect of the decision, has previously advocated for reducing U.S. military assistance to Ukraine to prioritize deterrence efforts in Asia.
Sergei Zharnovnikov, a 46-year-old citizen of Kyrgyzstan, pleaded guilty in New York federal court on June 25 to a conspiracy to illegally export U.S.-made firearms to Russia and smuggling, the U.S. Department of Justice announced. According to the statement, the defendant exported firearms and ammunition worth more than $1.5 million from the U.S. to Russia, violating U.S. law."The defendant admitted that he purchased American-made, military-grade firearms and re-exported them to Russia," U.S. A
Sergei Zharnovnikov, a 46-year-old citizen of Kyrgyzstan, pleaded guilty in New York federal court on June 25 to a conspiracy to illegally export U.S.-made firearms to Russia and smuggling, the U.S. Department of Justice announced.
According to the statement, the defendant exported firearms and ammunition worth more than $1.5 million from the U.S. to Russia, violating U.S. law.
"The defendant admitted that he purchased American-made, military-grade firearms and re-exported them to Russia," U.S. Attorney Joseph Nocella for the Eastern District of New York said.
"Today’s guilty plea is the culmination of extensive investigative work, showing that this office will not allow merchants of lethal weapons and Russia to flout U.S. sanctions."
According to court records, Zharnovnikov, owner of a Bishkek-based arms company, conspired to export U.S. firearms to Russia starting in March 2020. He signed a $900,000 contract with a U.S. company to send weapons to Kyrgyzstan, using a Department of Commerce export license that specifically banned re-export to Russia.
Despite the restriction, Zharnovnikov allegedly sent semi-automatic hybrid rifle-pistols to Russia via Kyrgyzstan without proper permits. Shipping records show the weapons left JFK Airport in July 2022. By November, a Russian client listed those same weapons on a tax form.
Upon sentencing, Zharnovnikov could face up to 20 years in prison.
Connexion
