Zelensky Meets NATO Secretary General: New Opportunities for Ukraine
President Volodymyr Zelensky met with NATO Secretary General Mark Rutte in Kyiv, expressing gratitude for the Alliance's support, especially for the PURL program, which enables Ukraine to procure military equipment from the USA.
According to the Ukrinform correspondent, Zelensky stated: «Today, we talked about what our next joint steps can be to enhance security for Ukraine and all of Europe and bring us closer to a real end to the war.»
He highlighted the significance of the PURL program, which facilitates the purchase of weapons from the United States. «This program is already operational. Thank you, Mark, for this initiative; it is indeed powerful. This program allows for the purchase of American arms with funding from our partners. Already, $1.5 billion has been secured from our European allies, and more participants will join soon. Thank you to everyone involved.»
He emphasized the importance of acquiring critically necessary systems such as air defense. «This primarily includes the Patriot systems, missiles for them, Himars, and other weaponry,» Zelensky noted.
Zelensky also stressed the need for consistent financial contributions to the program. «We discussed with Mark that we could secure between one and one and a half billion dollars monthly. This is a matter that requires further work. We also talked about how to engage more countries in this initiative,» he emphasized.
It should be noted that Secretary General Mark Rutte is currently visiting Ukraine.
