Rutte urges NATO countries to take advantage of Ukrainian ‘window of opportunity’

The defense ministers met for the UDGC meeting and were joined by Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky and Ukrainian Defense Minister ‌Mykhailo ‌Fedorov. U.S. Secretary of War Pete Hegseth was absent from the meeting, having left to return to the U.S. after the NATO defense ministers meeting but before the UDGC gathering, though Undersecretary of War for Policy Elbridge Colby joined virtually.

Norway, the Netherlands, Germany, Sweden, Luxembourg, Lithuania, Latvia, Denmark, Croatia, Sweden, and Iceland have all agreed to purchase American weapons for Ukraine through the PURL initiative, Rutte said, which was created by the Trump administration as a way to continue supporting Ukraine without the U.S. having to pay for it.

Fedorov said during the press conference the ​total ⁠value of aid packages announced on Thursday was about $1 billion, but ⁠could ​exceed $4 billion.

U.K. Defense Secretary Dan Jarvis announced a roughly $990 million military aid package for Ukraine as well, which will include 150,000 drones, more than 350 air defense missiles, and radar systems, which will be funded through seized Russian assets. German Defense Minister Boris Pistorius also announced that Germany will contribute $400 million for the purchase of air defense ammunition and said Germany and Ukraine agreed to a deal for the joint development of anti-ballistic capabilities and the joint production of unmanned ground vehicles in Germany, which will then go to Ukraine.

Jarvis and Pistorius lead the UDCG, though its first head was U.S. Secretary of Defense Lloyd Austin. Hegseth did not continue in the role.

Ukraine has had recent successes on the battlefield by using drones to carry out attacks deep within Russian territory, and also in the intermediate areas beyond the front lines targeting Russian forces’ supply lines and resources.

Colby praised Ukraine’s recent battlefield achievements, which were punctuated on Thursday when Ukrainian forces used attack drones to hit a Moscow oil refinery, and urged Europe to continue supporting Ukraine through the PURL program.

“In the war, Ukraine has managed to hold the front line and even improve its position in some places, continuing to lay the groundwork for a lasting peace, built on Russia’s understanding that perpetuating this war is not only condemnable, but also will not pay off for Moscow. This provides a critical underpinning for the peace that we, under President Trump’s visionary leadership, are seeking,” Colby said, adding that they should “not lose sight of the task before us” because “much has been done, but far more remains.”

Between Hegseth and Colby, they both echoed the sentiment pushed by the administration that other NATO allies, particularly those in Europe, need to take a larger share of the burden for the continent’s defense. Many have already started doing so, while others have been slow to increase their defense spending.

The secretary announced at the defense secretary meeting that the Department of War would conduct a six-month review of U.S. forces and basing in Europe. He referenced the lack of European assistance in the U.S.’s war against Iran as a factor in the review.

HEGSETH ANNOUNCES ‘NATO 3.0’ OF REVIEW OF US FORCE POSTURE IN EUROPE

“As President Trump put it and rightfully so, he gave our allies a test, to support America when we ask for their help, and too many failed it. The United States has defended Europe for generations, and all the president said was our jets would need to take off from bases in Europe or our ships from ports to strike targets in the Middle East,” Hegseth said. “But too many of our allies said no or tried to down us in arcane legal debates or criticized us publicly for doing what they aren’t prepared or able to do themselves. It was shameful.”

Hegseth briefly met with Jarvis for the first time since the latter assumed the position after the resignation of John Healey over the recently released defense industrial plan.

“It was a good meeting with the new counterpart of the U.K. Obviously, the U.S.-British defense alliance is an important one. My message to him was — he’s actually a fellow service member, a couple of majors getting together talking about the defense of their nations. I love the fact that he’s been in the combat zone,” Hegseth said in response to a question from the Washington Examiner. “But the message was the same, ‘Hey, we need you guys to step up, and do even more, and spend even more.”