Romania will join the group of states financing weapons purchases in the United States for Ukraine’s defense under the Priority Urgent Requirements List (PURL), allocating €50 million, Foreign Minister Oana Țoiu announced on 31 December.
At the same time, the Croatian government approved a contribution of €15 million to PURL.
This decision confirms Croatia’s strong and unwavering support for Ukraine, the country’s Foreign Ministry said in a statement.
What PURL is, and which countries contributed to Ukraine’s defense through this mechanism during 2025, is outlined below.
What PURL Is
The PURL (Prioritized Ukraine Requirements List) initiative is a joint procurement mechanism for supplying weapons to Ukraine, created in 2025 with the participation of the United States and NATO. The initiative coordinates financial contributions from partner countries to purchase U.S.-manufactured military equipment based on Ukraine’s priority needs.
After funding is secured, NATO procures the equipment from U.S. producers and transfers it to Ukraine for defense purposes. This model accelerates deliveries and allows allies to pool resources rather than relying on bilateral arrangements.
PURL emerged after a shift in U.S. policy toward a more transactional and commercialized approach to defense cooperation with partners. The initiative was officially launched in Summer 2025, and the first deliveries began in September 2025.
Countries That Joined the Initiative
The first PURL-financed packages were announced in early autumn 2025:
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The Netherlands made the initial contribution to a $578 million package, the first funded under PURL.
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Denmark, Norway, and Sweden jointly financed the second package, worth $495 million.
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Germany contributed to the third package, totaling $500 million.
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Canada announced a fourth aid package worth $500 million.
These packages primarily included air defence systems, artillery, and ammunition.
In October, participation in PURL expanded significantly.
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Finland announced a €100 million contribution, joining the initiative simultaneously with Spain.
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Estonia, Latvia, Lithuania, Iceland, Belgium, Luxembourg, Slovenia, Portugal, and Spain also formally joined the mechanism during this period.
Importantly, Australia and New Zealand became the first non-NATO countries to participate in PURL, marking the initiative’s expansion beyond Europe and the Alliance.
By the end of 2025, 24 countries had joined the PURL initiative:
The Netherlands, Denmark, Norway, Sweden, Germany, Canada, Estonia, Latvia, Lithuania, Iceland, Finland, Belgium, Spain, Luxembourg, Portugal, Slovenia, Poland, Australia, Greece, New Zealand, North Macedonia, Montenegro, Romania, and Croatia.
Conclusion
PURL demonstrated its effectiveness in accelerating weapons deliveries for Ukraine’s defense and in consolidating international support against Russian aggression, including well beyond Europe. The year underscored a new reality for Ukraine and its partners: the absence of the United States as a direct, large-scale donor.
At the same time, PURL cannot fully replace U.S. assistance. Total financing under the initiative in 2025 reached approximately $4.3 billion, while before Donald Trump’s return to power, the United States had been Ukraine’s primary donor, providing at least $86 billion in military assistance between 2022 and early 2025.
Nevertheless, PURL sends a clear signal to Russia that international support for Ukraine remains durable. Moreover, as long as U.S. defense producers benefit from these supplies, there is a room for hope that Washington would retain a material interest in Ukraine’s ability to defend its sovereignty.
