NATO will buy weapons for Ukraine? Szmyhal: We need up to $20 billion

Ukraine will need between $12 and $20 billion in military aid next year as part of a new NATO initiative to purchase American weapons, Defense Minister Denys Shmyhal said on Wednesday during the Alliance's ministerial meeting in Brussels.

He added that Ukraine is able to produce up to 10 million drones in 2026 if it obtains sufficient financing from its allies.

However, Shmyhal emphasized that in addition to developing domestic production, Ukraine also needs more long-range artillery shells in the fight against Russian forces.

On Wednesday, a meeting of the NATO-Ukraine Council was held at NATO Headquarters.

One of the main points of the meeting was the coordination of further military aid for Kiev, including: by extending the PURL (Prioritized Ukraine Requirements List) program. Through this mechanism, launched in August, NATO countries finance the purchase of weapons and ammunition from American stocks, which then go to Ukraine.

From Brussels Łukasz Osiński (PAP)

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