THE HAGUE, Aug. 5 (Xinhua) -- The Netherlands will finance a 500 million euros (about 578 million U.S. dollars) military aid package for Ukraine under a new NATO initiative, including air defense systems, the Dutch Ministry of Defense announced Monday.
The grant marks the first NATO member's contribution to the new U.S.-led initiative -- Prioritized Ukraine Requirements List (PURL) -- a program through which NATO allies fund military assistance for Ukraine drawn directly from the U.S. weapon stockpiles.
Under the PURL framework, the U.S. releases aid packages, each valued at approximately 500 million euros (around 578 million dollars) and "containing air defense systems, ammunition and other essential military supplies, tailored to Ukraine's most urgent needs," the ministry said in a statement.
The program is designed to complement, not replace, existing military aid programs for Ukraine, the ministry said, adding that "the key difference is that NATO allies fund the packages, after which the equipment is shipped to Ukraine via newly established logistics hubs."
The PURL initiative was officially launched on July 14 by U.S. President Donald Trump and NATO Secretary General Mark Rutte. ■
