European countries in NATO on Wednesday signaled their readiness to go all-in on President Trump’s plan to transfer US weapons to Ukraine using allied funds. The Biden administration had basically donated most arms, but Trump’s plan is to sell them, making the US role a little more indirect. But this could effectively put the most hawkish European leaders in the driver’s seat related to the still ratcheting proxy war.
“Thanks to funding from allies, we are providing Ukraine with critical U.S. equipment,” NATO chief Mark Rutte proclaimed as alliance defense ministers met in Brussels. “And today, we heard from ally after ally about new contributions.”
At this point twenty NATO allies in total are pledging support for the scheme, which aims to take care of Keiv’s long-term defense needs as if faces down Russia’s special military operation, possibly for years to come.
“Denmark, Norway, Sweden, Canada, Germany and the Netherlands have pledged $2 billion in four separate PURL packages,” Politico notes. “And on Wednesday, Estonia, Latvia, Lithuania, Slovenia and Finland among others were poised to finalize a fifth package, according to three NATO diplomats, who like others quoted in this story were granted anonymity to speak freely.”
As for Berlin, it said it is ready to buy $500 million worth of American weapons for Ukraine under a new program to fast-track military equipment.
Pistorius articulated that Germany’s “package addresses a number of urgent requirements of Ukraine. It provides air defense systems, Patriot (missile) interceptors, radar systems and precision guided artillery, rockets and ammunition.”
He stated Germany would separately provide “another two Iris-T air defense systems, including a large number of guided missiles, as well as shoulder-fired air defense missiles.”
This comes also as the Zelensky government wants allies to rain money on his government and military. They’ve issued their wish list or shopping list, at the top of which is US Tomahawks – though it remains anything but certain whether Trump will authorize such a brazen escalation against Moscow.
The Ukrainians are poised to pounce as Western governments open their wallets, using European taxpayers’ money of course. This part is nothing new.
War Secretary Pete Hegseth tries to put on a tough show of strength even as Russia is continuously ascendent on the eastern battlefield, though Moscow is absorbing losses at home as its oil infrastructure gets pummeled…
Listen to this US war hawk blabber. Has he the slightest clue what Russia’s security actually means? Moscow asked for one thing: stop NATO expansion.
The West laughed, thinking Russia was weak, bulldozed ahead, and now pays the price.
Over 21% of Ukraine is already Russian.
Play… pic.twitter.com/JcCZojF17n— Richard (@ricwe123) October 15, 2025
Zelensky’s Defense Minister Denys Shmyhal estimated Ukraine will need between $12 billion and $20 billion worth of military aid next year as part of NATO’s new purchasing initiative. He specifically said this would help the country procure badly needed long-range artillery shells.
Again, all this is a recipe for dragging the war on yet further, and without end, as people die in the hundreds of thousands. All sides have essentially admitted that peace talks are dead at this point, and Trump has expressed frustration with Moscow.
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