Finland has announced its decision to take part in NATO’s initiative to procure American-made weapons for Ukraine, according to Finnish broadcaster YLE.
Defense Minister Antti Hakkanen confirmed that Finland will join the alliance’s Prioritized Ukraine Requirements List (PURL), a program under which NATO members collectively fund U.S. weapons purchases based on Kyiv’s operational needs.“We see it as crucial that Ukraine receives critical weapons from the United States,” Hakkanen said during the NATO defense ministers’ meeting in Brussels.
Each PURL package is valued at roughly $500 million. Hakkanen did not specify Finland’s financial contribution but emphasized the importance of providing long-range weapons to Ukraine, noting they would have a “clear impact” on the battlefield.
He added that Western nations must continue strengthening both military assistance and economic sanctions on Russia. “It is the only way to achieve peace, if it’s what we really want,” he said.
The PURL program was launched by NATO in July following a temporary suspension of U.S. military aid to Ukraine by President Donald Trump, who urged European allies to assume a larger share of the financial responsibility. By August, Belgium, Canada, Denmark, Germany, Latvia, the Netherlands, Norway, and Sweden had jointly committed $2.2 billion to the initiative.
