Poland will not allocate additional funds to the PURL program for the time being, under which European countries purchase American weapons for Ukraine. Prime Minister Donald Tusk informed NATO Secretary General Mark Rutte of the decision during their meeting.
Donald Tusk made the statement while speaking to journalists on November 13, in a video released by the Chancellery of the Prime Minister of Poland.
“I informed the Secretary General that we will not be contributing any more money to the PURL project at this time, which means European money for American weapons for Ukraine,” the Polish prime minister said.
Tusk explained the decision by Poland’s substantial spending on its own armaments and its large state budget deficit.
“We have helped and continue to help Ukraine in a very substantial way. We have a large deficit. We spend a lot on defense,” he said.
According to the prime minister, Poland has some of the highest expenditures on its own security in Europe, so its financial resources do not allow it to make further contributions to the program.
Tusk also said that Rutte raised the issue of the American military base in Poland during their meeting. The NATO secretary general asked whether its presence would facilitate peace negotiations with Russia or, conversely, make them more difficult.
