NATO’s newest members, Finland and Sweden, announced Wednesday that they will purchase additional U.S. weapons for Ukraine, following reports of a recent drop in foreign military aid to the country.
This summer, NATO began coordinating regular deliveries of large weapons packages to Ukraine, aiming to provide at least one shipment per month valued around $500 million. European arsenals are nearly depleted, and NATO officials say the U.S. has $10–12 billion worth of arms, air defense systems, and ammunition available for Kyiv.
Under the Prioritized Ukraine Requirements List (PURL), European allies and Canada are buying U.S. weapons to help Ukraine defend against Russian forces, with $2 billion already allocated. Finland’s Defense Minister Antti Häkkänen said the country joined PURL to ensure Ukraine receives critical U.S. arms and will also send its own military equipment. Swedish Defense Minister Pål Jonson emphasized that Sweden is ready to provide more and welcomed discussions among Nordic and Baltic countries on sending additional support.
Concerns over declining Western aid were raised, with Estonian Defense Minister Hanno Pevkur noting a significant reduction in U.S. contributions. New data shows Western military aid to Ukraine fell 43% in July and August compared to the first half of the year, according to Germany’s Kiel Institute.
U.S. Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth urged more countries to step up contributions, while NATO Secretary-General Mark Rutte said overall support remains roughly in line with last year. Finnish officials called on all NATO members to share the burden, criticizing some European nations, including France, Italy, and Spain, for not doing enough. France insists European funds should support local defense industries rather than U.S. programs and does not plan to participate in PURL.
