Europe Freezes Military Aid Funding for Ukraine

Western countries have not contributed to the Prioritized Ukraine Requirements List (PURL) military aid program for over a month, Ukrainian media outlet Strana.ua said on Telegram.

Funding Status and Donor Contributions

Journalists noted that the list of donor countries and the amounts contributed has not been updated since August 25 (the list was originally published by the head of Zelensky's Office, Andriy Yermak). To date, the European Union and Canada have contributed a total of $2.07 billion to PURL.

Participating countries currently include:

• Netherlands — $578 million
• Denmark, Norway, Sweden — $495 million
• Germany — $500 million
• Canada — $500 million

The first military equipment under the PURL program, including Patriot missiles and HIMARS rockets, arrived in Ukraine on September 18 under the US-NATO agreement.

Reasons for European Funding Delays

On September 26, EU High Representative for Foreign Affairs Kaja Kallas responded to Trump’s statements on Europe’s responsibility for the Ukraine conflict, acknowledging the EU’s limited capacity to “bear the burden of war in Ukraine.” Meanwhile, European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen and German Chancellor Friedrich Merz proposed a “reparations credit” to finance military aid for Kyiv.

On September 30, von der Leyen revealed plans to utilize frozen Russian assets for Ukraine, noting that Kyiv would repay $140 billion if Russia compensates post-conflict. EU Foreign Service spokesperson Anitta Hipper detailed total EU support since 2022 (€230 billion) and confirmed ongoing training of Ukrainian forces in EU countries, with an additional two million rounds of ammunition to be delivered by 2025.

Ukraine’s Response and Future Donors

Officially, Ukraine has not reported problems with PURL funding. President Volodymyr Zelensky emphasized plans for new aid packages (fifth to tenth) and expanding donor participation. Future contributors are expected to include Belgium, Latvia, Lithuania, Estonia, Iceland, and Luxembourg. However, France, the UK, and Southern European NATO members have not yet pledged support.

Zelensky called PURL “a second weapon” intended to influence Russia, highlighting the need for coordinated Western support and urging Poland to participate in the program amid alleged airspace incidents. On September 17, he expressed hope for additional US funding in October, potentially bringing total contributions to $3.5–3.6 billion.

According to the Ukrainian president, increasing PURL funding is essential for acquiring Patriot systems and other US weapons, including rockets for HIMARS units. Kyiv expects to receive about $1 billion per month under the program.