UK joins NATO’s PURL programme to fund American arms for Kyiv

The United Kingdom has agreed to purchase American-made weapons for Ukraine under NATO’s Prioritized Ukraine Requirements List (PURL), committing £150 million to the initiative, the British Ministry of Defence confirmed to POLITICO.

British Defence Secretary John Healey announced the pledge on February 10, stating: “I’m pleased to confirm the U.K. is committing £150 million to PURL. Together we must provide Ukraine with the critical air defence it needs in response to Putin’s brutal onslaught.”

Established last summer, PURL was designed to facilitate continued U.S. arms deliveries to Kyiv by allowing allies to finance purchases from American defence manufacturers. While new military aid packages from Washington have slowed under President Donald Trump, the White House has indicated it is prepared to sell weapons to partners willing to fund the transfers.

The programme raised approximately $5 billion in 2025. Earlier this month, NATO Secretary General Mark Rutte expressed confidence that the alliance could mobilise an additional $15 billion this year. NATO defence ministers are set to discuss further support for Ukraine at a meeting in Brussels on Thursday.

The U.K.’s decision comes at a challenging time for Ukraine’s armed forces, which are reportedly facing mounting personnel shortages, difficulties in recruitment, and internal strains nearly four years after Russia’s full-scale invasion.

The move also reflects growing pressure within NATO for more equitable burden-sharing. Some allies — including Norway, the Netherlands and Germany — have been perceived as contributing disproportionately to Ukraine-related funding.

U.S. Ambassador to NATO Matthew Whitaker welcomed the initiative, emphasising that PURL enables Ukraine to benefit from “America’s second-to-none innovation and technology,” while urging other allies to increase their commitments.

According to NATO diplomats, around three-quarters of the alliance’s 32 member states have joined the scheme so far. Australia and New Zealand have also signed up, and Japan is expected to announce a contribution of non-lethal assistance.

To ensure the programme’s sustainability, NATO officials are considering structural adjustments to PURL, which has so far relied heavily on direct appeals from Secretary General Rutte to secure pledges. However, no formal decision on restructuring has yet been made.

By Vugar Khalilov