Finland joins NATO arms initiative to purchase weapons from the United States and donate them to Ukraine, aligning with other European NATO members in a coordinated effort to strengthen Kyiv’s military capacity.
Finnish Defence Minister Antti Hakkänen confirmed the decision during NATO’s defense ministerial meeting in Brussels. Speaking to reporters, he explained that Finland will now participate in the Prioritised Ukraine Requirements List, known as PURL, which allows European countries to pool funds for buying US-made weapons for Ukraine.
“This week, we will deliver a new support package to Ukraine. We have also decided to join the PURL initiative because it is crucial for Ukraine to receive the US weapons it urgently needs,” Hakkänen said.
Under the program, Ukraine identifies priority weapons such as air defense systems and long-range missiles. NATO then coordinates with member countries to purchase the equipment directly from US stockpiles. Each package is valued at roughly 500 million dollars and delivered on a rolling basis.
So far, European NATO members have pledged around 2 billion euros to the initiative. Germany, Denmark, Norway, Sweden, and the Baltic states are already part of the mechanism. Estonia recently announced a 10 million euro contribution. The combined target for monthly procurement is approximately 1 billion euros.
Hakkänen did not specify Finland’s financial share but said the decision was made at a strategic level. He acknowledged that Finland joined later than other Nordic countries but stressed that the support remains timely and essential.
President Alexander Stubb also confirmed Finland’s involvement, saying the country “wants to be among its peers” in backing Ukraine’s defense. He did not reveal figures but said Finland’s contribution would be smaller than the hundreds of millions pledged by Sweden, Norway, and Denmark.
“We are part of an alliance where our goal is to support Ukraine by every possible means,” Stubb said during a visit to Mikkeli.
NATO Secretary-General Mark Rutte welcomed Finland’s announcement, noting that more than half of NATO members are now participating in the PURL program. He said that certain systems requested by Ukraine are unavailable in Europe, making the US supply chain indispensable.
“These are vital systems, especially air defense and interceptors. With them, Ukraine can protect civilians and critical infrastructure from continued Russian strikes,” Rutte said.
Among the most requested systems is the Patriot surface-to-air missile, capable of intercepting ballistic threats. NATO officials have also pointed to Ukraine’s interest in long-range weapons such as Tomahawk cruise missiles. Former US President Donald Trump has suggested he might allow the transfer of such systems if Russia escalates its attacks.
Rutte added that procurement through the PURL framework counts toward NATO’s defense spending targets. Every euro spent on Ukraine contributes to the alliance’s 3.5 percent defense spending goal.
Hakkänen supported the approach, calling the US request for European funding reasonable, as the war is being fought on European soil. “We all need to find the funds. This is a decisive moment,” he said.
The decision comes as overall military aid to Ukraine has declined. A report by Germany’s Kiel Institute found that support fell by 43 percent over the summer, with European contributions dropping nearly 60 percent. The PURL mechanism, launched in August, is viewed as a response to this slowdown.
Previously, Finland had prioritized domestic defense purchases. However, officials now see participation in the PURL initiative as an urgent step. Hakkänen confirmed that Finland will continue to support Ukraine through direct aid and European defense industry procurement.
At the Brussels summit, ministers also discussed Europe’s broader security landscape. Topics included strengthening missile and drone defenses, with emphasis on NATO’s “eastern flank.” Finland has backed the idea of a “drone wall” along the EU’s eastern borders, a proposal initially raised by Baltic countries.
Hakkänen stated that Finland’s eastern border faces one of the most direct threats from Russia and should receive priority in EU funding. “We will communicate that Russia’s threat is greatest on the eastern flank. Others must show solidarity,” he said.
Meanwhile, NATO and the EU are advancing joint plans for a continent-wide drone detection and countermeasure network. Germany has pledged 10 billion euros toward drone technologies, while France plans to contribute to a satellite-based early warning system known as Odin’s Eye.
In Ukraine, Russian forces have intensified attacks on key energy infrastructure in Kharkiv and Kyiv, causing power outages and renewed evacuations near Kupiansk. President Volodymyr Zelenskyi is scheduled to visit Washington later this week to seek additional air defense support and discuss the conflict with Donald Trump at the White House.
