Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky said Ukraine expects to secure up to $3.5 billion from an international fund to buy American weapons, in the wake of the now more than three-year war against Russian occupation.
At a joint press conference in Kyiv with European Parliament President Roberta Metsola, Zelensky said the funds would be available next month and would be used for key military supplies, including missiles for Patriot air defense systems and ammunition for HIMARS — High Mobility Artillery Rocket Systems.
“We have received more than $2 billion from our partners specifically for the PURL program,” Zelensky said. “We will receive additional funds in October. I think we will have somewhere around $3.5–3.6 billion.”
These funds will be managed through the program known as the Primary Ukrainian Requirements List (PURL), a mechanism that collects contributions from NATO member countries (except the US) to directly purchase equipment and weapons from American manufacturers.
Zelensky did not disclose full details about the content of the upcoming deliveries, but stressed that strengthening air defense and precision strike capabilities remains a priority.
Meanwhile, Russia continues its military offensive. Recent airstrikes overnight caused serious damage to Ukraine's energy and railway infrastructure. In the Kherson region, a Russian bomb hit a town, injuring three women and a 3-year-old girl, according to regional governor Oleksandr Prokudin.
On the other hand, the Kremlin has publicly reiterated its readiness for peace talks. Spokesman Dmitry Peskov stated: “We remain open to negotiations and prefer to resolve the Ukrainian crisis through political and diplomatic means.”
However, US-led peace efforts have stalled, as Moscow has rejected key conditions proposed by Kiev and its Western allies.
The war in Ukraine, which began with the Russian invasion in February 2022, continues to be one of the bloodiest and costliest conflicts in Europe since World War II. The new arms fund is expected to play a crucial role in supporting the Ukrainian resistance in the coming months.
