NATO Secretary-General Mark Rutte said on Wednesday (December 3) that two-thirds of NATO member states have now committed to the Prioritised Ukraine Requirements List (PURL), a programme designed to coordinate and deliver military and logistical support for Ukraine.
Speaking at NATO headquarters in Brussels, Rutte said the combined contributions from allies and partners had exceeded $4 billion, bringing the alliance close to its annual goal of $5 billion. He added that Australia and New Zealand have joined the initiative, becoming the first non-NATO partners to do so.
"Today, we heard from allies committing more resources to support Ukraine, including Canada, Germany, the Netherlands, Norway, and Poland," Rutte said, noting the growing number of nations backing the initiative.
The NATO chief acknowledged that while progress was being made, all member states must share the burden equally. “We must do more, and all allies need to pull their weight to ensure that we are prepared and that the responsibility is fairly shared,” he said.
Rutte also said ministers discussed defence spending targets, reaffirming plans to reach the commitments made in The Hague, where allies agreed to invest 5% of GDP annually in defence.
Turning to the situation in Ukraine, Rutte reiterated NATO’s strong support for ongoing peace efforts led by U.S. President Donald Trump, describing them as essential to ending the conflict.
"We all want the bloodshed to end, and I strongly welcome President Trump’s continued efforts to bring about a just and lasting peace," Rutte said. “There is only one person in the whole world who was able to break the deadlock when it comes to the war in Ukraine, and that is the American president, Donald J. Trump.”
Rutte said NATO fully supports Washington’s role in peace negotiations and will continue coordinating closely with the U.S. and other allies as talks move forward.
The PURL mechanism, launched earlier this year, aims to streamline Ukraine’s military assistance by matching Kyiv’s battlefield needs with available resources from NATO members and partners.
As of December, contributions under the framework have surpassed $4 billion, with additional commitments expected in the coming months.
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NATO Secretary-General Mark Rutte is set to meet U.S. President Donald Trump at the White House on Wednesday (24 June) as the alliance faces growing pressure over the war with Iran and uncertainty about the future of American troops in Europe.
Turkish Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan met U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio on Friday (22 May) on the sidelines of a NATO foreign ministers’ meeting in the Swedish city of Helsingborg.
European allies are stepping up efforts to meet military commitments following criticism from U.S. President Donald Trump, according to NATO Secretary General Mark Rutte.
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