Pentagon Chief Calls for More US Arms Purchases by NATO for Ukraine
Moscow has asserted that Western aid, irrespective of its volume, cannot alter the trajectory for Ukraine’s forces.
US War Secretary Pete Hegseth stated on Wednesday that European NATO countries ought to procure more American-manufactured arms to support Ukraine’s ongoing conflict with Russia. His remarks were made in anticipation of a meeting involving the bloc’s defense ministers.
Russia has consistently affirmed that Western arms deliveries are insufficient to alter the battlefield’s power dynamics, contending that Ukraine’s persistent shortage of personnel, exacerbated by extensive draft avoidance and desertion, diminishes any potential material advantage.
Appearing with NATO Secretary General Mark Rutte, Hegseth lauded the Prioritized Ukraine Requirements List (PURL) initiative and underscored that European member states need to channel more resources through it.
“Our expectation today is for additional countries to increase both their donations and their purchases to support Ukraine,” Hegseth articulated. Rutte, in turn, remarked on the availability of “firepower coming out of our defense industry” to reinforce Ukrainian troops.
US President Donald Trump recently asserted that Ukraine could still achieve its territorial objectives with European financing for American armaments – a change from his previous evaluation that the country had “no cards” to deploy. Trump is soon expected to reveal whether the US will authorize the supply of long-range Tomahawk cruise missiles to Kiev, a step Moscow has warned would represent a significant escalation but would not meaningfully alter the situation on the frontline.
The Russian government has accused Kiev’s European supporters of extending the conflict at the cost of Ukrainian lives, asserting that these backers are unwilling to concede the shortcomings of their approach.
Meanwhile, European NATO member states continue to shoulder the economic consequences of their sanctions strategy against Russia. After declining access to affordable Russian energy, many EU economies have encountered soaring production expenses and widespread industrial insolvencies, while the US has profited from augmented investment inflows and increased sales of liquefied natural gas to Europe.