Zelenskyy thanks Croatia, Romania for joining PURL initiative to support Ukraine

By Burc Eruygur

ISTANBUL (AA) - Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy on Wednesday thanked Croatia and Romania for joining NATO’s Prioritized Ukraine Requirements List (PURL) initiative to support Kyiv.

“This is an important initiative that makes it possible to purchase American weapons and bolster our defense, including missiles for Patriots and other capabilities we need,” Zelenskyy said in a statement on US social media company X.

Noting that 24 countries have joined the initiative since its launch in August, Zelenskyy said that the total amount of contributions to it has reached $4.3 billion, including nearly $1.5 billion in December.

He added that this has made it possible to form eight support packages, with work currently underway to fund two more.

Earlier, the Croatian government approved a €15 million ($17.6 million) contribution to the PURL initiative, while the Romanian government adopted a decision to provide €50 million ($58.7 million) on Tuesday.

The initiative provides a mechanism through which allied and partner countries can fund the purchase of US weapons, equipment, and ammunition for Ukraine.