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NATO on track to fund Ukraine defence aid despite burden-sharing gaps, Rutte says

By Thomson Reuters Apr 15, 2026 | 10:26 AM

BRUSSELS, April 15 (Reuters) – NATO Secretary General Mark Rutte expressed optimism ​Wednesday that ‌the alliance would successfully fund defence aid to Ukraine through the Prioritised ‌Ukraine ​Requirements List (PURL) ⁠mechanism before the ⁠end of the year.

“I’m optimistic,” Rutte told reporters following a Ukraine ​Defence Contact Group meeting in Berlin, ⁠while acknowledging ⁠that burden-sharing within ​the alliance remained uneven. “A ​limited number of countries are ‌doing the heavy lifting — but we are seeing change for ⁠the better.”

“We have to make sure Ukraine has what ⁠it ‌needs to stay ⁠in the ​fight. ‌So there is broad ​agreement ⁠on that on both sides of the Atlantic.”

(Reporting by Gianluca Lo Nostro; Editing by Inti ​Landauro)