Netherlands becomes first NATO ally to buy US weapons for Ukraine
Dutch Defense Minister Ruben Brekelmans announced Monday his nation will contribute €500 million ($576 million) to a fund called the NATO Prioritized Ukraine Requirements List (PURL) initiative.
Brekelmans said the funding would go toward Patriot systems and missiles, a mobile surface-to-air interceptor.
Developed in the 1980s and still considered one of the U.S.'s most advanced air defense systems, the Patriot can thwart attacks from aircraft, tactical ballistic missiles and cruise missiles.
A new Patriot system and the missiles to go along with it could cost around $1.1 billion, according to the Center for Strategic and International Studies (CSIS). The newest version of the missile costs around $4 million a piece.
Last month during a White House meeting with Rutte, Trump promised Europe would spend "billions" on U.S. weapons to arm Ukraine.
"Billions of dollars' worth of military equipment is going to be purchased from the United States, going to NATO… And that's going to be quickly distributed to the battlefield," Trump said.
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy thanked the Netherlands for the funding on X.
"Ukraine, and thus the whole of Europe, will be better protected from Russian terror," he wrote.
"I am sincerely grateful to the Netherlands for their substantial contribution to strengthening Ukraine's air shield," he added.
Rutte also thanked the Netherlands and encouraged other European NATO allies to follow suit.
"This is about getting Ukraine the equipment it urgently needs now to defend itself against Russian aggression," he said in a statement.
"I have written to all NATO Allies, urging them to contribute towards this burden-sharing initiative, and I expect further significant announcements from other Allies soon."
The Netherlands has emerged as one of Ukraine's top defense donors, committing close to €3 billion in military aid since the start of Russia's full-scale invasion in 2022. Dutch support has included tanks, F-16 training, and now, contributions toward strategic air defense platforms like the Patriot.
The new Trump-NATO agreement came after Republicans expressed frustration with the nearly $128 billion in aid the U.S. has offered to Ukraine, arguing Europe should take up the burden. At the same time, Trump has increasingly grown impatient with Russian President Vladimir Putin during peace negotiations.
White House envoy Steve Witkoff is set to head to Moscow this week before the deadline Trump gave Putin for ending the war. The president has threatened to slap steep tariffs on Russia and any nations that do business with it if this week's negotiations fail to produce a deal.
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