Overview

• Ukrainian Defense Minister Denys Shmyhal met NATO Secretary General Mark Rutte in Kyiv, reporting that roughly $1.5 billion has been mobilized under the PURL mechanism developed with NATO and the United States.
• Shmyhal and Rutte discussed preparations for the next Ramstein-format meeting, coordination on financing the armed forces, and steps to deepen Alliance support.
• The two visited a major Ukrainian drone manufacturer that is scaling output under government contracts and showcasing battlefield-tested technologies.
• Talks with KNDS Deutschland CEO Ralf Ketzel advanced plans for joint ventures in Ukraine, with repair and service hubs expanding and the first three Gepard air-defense systems already restored.
• Parliament passed two bills to launch the Defense City framework, as Shmyhal pressed partners on confiscating frozen Russian assets and highlighted urgent air-defense needs, citing delivered IRIS-T systems and Germany’s intention to provide additional Patriots.