HELSINKI — Eight Nordic and Baltic nations on Wednesday announced a joint commitment of $500 million in defense materiel for Ukraine, sourced from the United States under a NATO-backed initiative.
Finland, Denmark, Estonia, Iceland, Latvia, Lithuania, Norway and Sweden will fund the package as part of the Prioritized Ukraine Requirements List, or PURL, an initiative established by NATO and the United States in July. PURL is designed to rapidly deliver U.S.-sourced defense equipment to Ukraine, funded by European allies and Canada.
Finnish Minister of Defence Antti Häkkänen said the commitment solidifies the region’s support for Kyiv.
“This joint pledge to contribute the PURL initiative will further strengthen the commitment of the Nordic and Baltic countries to supporting Ukraine,” Häkkänen said in a press release dated Nov. 13. “It is crucial that Ukraine receives critical defense materiel quickly.”
For Finland, the package represents a “third element” of military assistance, following previous materiel handovers by the Finnish Defence Forces and a domestic industry support program, Häkkänen noted.
The PURL initiative consists of regular packages of defense materiel, with funding contributions from the participating nations.
