Romania has joined the club of Western countries that buy US-made weapons for Ukraine, pledging €50 million to the so-called PURL fund created in the summer.
The announcement was made by Romanian foreign affairs minister on social media on Wednesday.
The Priority Acquisition List for Ukraine’s Defence is an initiative approved by US President Donald Trump in July, and run by the Western military alliance NATO, whereby Ukraine‘s backers pledge millions into a fund used to buy US-made arms for Kyiv.
As things stand, over 20 countries have now pitched more than $4 billion into the fund, including Australia and New Zealand.
Ukraine’s President Volodymyr Zelenskyy has asked that its backers send a total of $1 billion per month. For NATO Secretary-General Mark Rutte, allies should increase the target to $15 billion for the whole of 2026.
The Romanian announcement comes at a time when Ukraine is in intense negotiations with the US and the Europeans to deliver a peace plan proposal to Russia, and get guarantees of support should Moscow attack again.
Instead of paying per delivery, the idea of a monthly subscription is being considered, one NATO diplomat told Euractiv in December. The new format would guarantee long-term commitment from the allies.