Latvia to contribute at least EUR 2 million to NATO mechanism for arms purchases for Ukraine

RIGA - Latvia will contribute at least EUR 2 million to the NATO mechanism for weapons purchases for Ukraine, Prime Minister Evika Silina (New Unity) told reporters following the government meeting on Tuesday.

At the closed part of the Cabinet sitting, ministers decided on Latvia's contribution to the NATO initiative to provide Ukraine with critical military support.

Silina said that Latvia will respond to US President Donald Trump's call to support Ukraine through NATO by purchasing air defense systems and other necessary means for Ukraine to defend itself.

"The financial amount that Latvia will contribute to this initiative is yet to be specified, but it will not be less than EUR 2 million," the prime minister said.

Last week, Denmark, Norway and Sweden confirmed that they will fund a USD 500 million package of military equipment and ammunition for Ukraine to be purchased from the US under NATO's new Prioritized Ukraine Requirements List (PURL) initiative.

As LETA reported, the US Department of Defense and NATO have developed a new mechanism for European countries to purchase arms for Ukraine. The mechanism will essentially set up a NATO bank account into which allies can transfer money to buy weapons from the US.

Ukraine would send a list of the weapons it needs directly to NATO, and then General Alexis Grinkevich, the current head of US European Command and NATO's Supreme Allied Commander Europe, would assess whether the US has sufficient stockpiles to sell them.