Trump's Minister Asks NATO Allies To Boost Budget To Buy US Weapons For Ukraine

JAKARTA - US Secretary of Defense (War Department) Pete Hegseth called on NATO allies to increase the budget for the purchase of US weapons for Ukraine, following reports highlighting a sharp decline in military support for Kyiv in July and August.

"You get peace when you are strong. Not when you use harsh words or shake your fingers, you get them when you have a strong and real ability that the enemy respects," he told reporters ahead of a meeting with the NATO Defense Minister.

Hegseth urged allies to increase investment in Ukraine's Priority Requirement List (PURL) program, which replaces US arms donations to Ukraine and now requires allies to pay for US arms shipments.

"Our hope right now is that more and more countries will donate more, buy more to help Ukraine, and end the conflict peacefully," he continued.

NATO Secretary-General Mark Rutte said he expects further commitment, noting $2 billion has been committed through the mechanism.

However, this number is lower than the $3.5 billion target which was expected to be secured by Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy in October.

Sweden, Estonia, and Finland pledged contributions on Wednesday, but countries including Spain, Italy, France and the UK have faced criticism for holding them back.

Ukraine still relies heavily on US weapons as it prepares for another winter conflict with Russia.

The Kiel Institute for the World Economy reported on Tuesday that military aid to Ukraine fell by 43% in July and August compared to the first half of this year.

According to the agency, most military support is now flowing through the PURL initiative, which in August was followed by Belgium, Canada, Denmark, Germany, Latvia, the Netherlands, Norway, and Sweden.