Germany to fund $500 million aid package for Ukraine
Germany will finance one of the first comprehensive aid packages for Kyiv totaling up to $500 million (€427 million) under the Prioritised Ukraine Requirements List (PURL) mechanism.
The announcement was made on Wednesday, August 13, by Germany’s Foreign Ministry.
The package covers military items either not produced by Europe’s defense industry or available more quickly from the United States than from European partners or Canada. These include, for example, critical air defense systems needed to counter ongoing Russian aerial attacks.
“We thank the United States for its readiness to continue supplying weapons and ammunition to Ukraine and welcome the recently announced contributions by allies in this context,” the Foreign Ministry said.
Since the start of Russia’s war, Germany has provided roughly €40 billion in bilateral military aid to Ukraine, Berlin noted.
NATO chief: Deliveries will help Ukraine defend against Russian aggression
NATO Secretary General Mark Rutte hailed the move as a clear sign of Germany’s steadfast commitment to Ukraine’s defense.
“I greatly appreciate that Germany has once again taken the initiative. This delivery will help Ukraine defend itself against Russian aggression,” he said. “Germany is the largest European donor of military assistance to Ukraine, and today’s announcement underscores its commitment to helping the Ukrainian people defend their freedom and sovereignty,” Rutte added.
Denmark, Norway and Sweden on August 5 confirmed they would finance a $500 million (€427 million) package of weapons and ammunition for Ukraine to be provided by the United States.
A day earlier, on August 4, the Netherlands also announced funding to purchase from Washington the first package of artillery and ammunition worth more than $500 million. That brought the combined value of the package at that point to roughly $1 billion.
Some deliveries are expected to reach Ukraine by the end of the month. Shipments from the Nordic countries are due in September, the AP reported. “Deliveries will be prepared quickly and carried out on a regular basis,” the alliance said.