Overview
- Defense ministers from Denmark, Estonia, Finland, Latvia, Lithuania, Norway, and Sweden, together with Iceland’s foreign minister, announced the joint pledge at an NB8 meeting in Helsinki.
- The funding will be used to procure U.S.-made equipment through PURL with an emphasis on strengthening air defenses and support for the Ukrainian Air Force, though specific systems were not disclosed.
- Officials noted that partner financing under PURL had already exceeded $2.8 billion before this package, reflecting a growing, coordinated pipeline for Kyiv’s needs.
- NATO Secretary General Mark Rutte welcomed the decision, calling the equipment vital for the winter period and saying deliveries through PURL are already reaching Ukraine.
- The eight governments reaffirmed long-term, predictable support tied to capability development and defense industrial cooperation, describing Russia’s war as a lasting threat to European security.