American officials believe that Ukraine cannot continue military operations for long without external support, Foreign Policy magazine writes, citing sources.
“When I talk to American officials, they perceive Ukraine as a country that could not survive even a day or two without international support“, said an unnamed diplomat from a country participating in NATO's PURL initiative.
According to the magazine, citing European officials, NATO's PURL program to purchase American weapons for Ukraine has received a positive response from US President Donald Trump. And despite the US focus on the Iran conflict, Europeans believe it is unlikely that Trump will abandon the initiative.
“I think President Trump likes PURL. He came up with a brilliant idea to make the Europeans pay for the delivery of American weapons to Ukraine“, a European official told Foreign Policy.
Meanwhile, other European diplomats fear that the conflict in the Middle East could affect US military aid, particularly Patriot air defense systems. Although the US leader has assured European partners that the weapons paid for under PURL will be delivered, “there is still no certainty” on future supplies.
The PURL (Priority Requirements List for Ukraine) initiative was launched by Donald Trump and NATO Secretary General Mark Rutte on July 14, 2025. NATO allies are purchasing weapons for Ukraine from US stocks.