NATO Secretary General says Ukraine continues receiving US weapons through European-backed programme

NATO Secretary General Mark Rutte on Thursday said Ukraine continues to receive American weapons purchased by its European partners under the PURL programme.

Rutte made the remarks in response to media reports suggesting that the United States could redirect weapons originally intended for Ukraine to the Middle East.

The official said “critical equipment” from the US, including interceptor missiles, is still being delivered to Ukraine through the PURL mechanism.

He emphasised that since the launch of the programme, Ukraine has received a “significant portion” of its military supplies via this framework.

“This is an important programme that continues to operate,” Rutte stated.

Earlier, The Washington Post reported, citing anonymous sources, that the Pentagon was considering the possibility of diverting weapons allocated for Ukraine to the Middle East.