US denies reports of halting arms supplies to Ukraine

The United States continues to sell weapons and ammunition to European allies for subsequent transfer to Ukraine under the PURL mechanism. Washington has made no changes to the program's operation, despite reports of threats to halt military aid due to Ukrainian strikes on Russian oil refineries.

This was stated by the US Permanent Representative to NATO Matthew Whitaker in an interview with journalists on the sidelines of the Warsaw Security Forum. His words were published on October 13.

The American diplomat declined to comment in detail on reports of a possible halt to arms supplies, calling them unconfirmed.

“I don't think that matches what I know today. The United States continues to sell our equipment and ammunition to European and Canadian allies, who then transfer them to Ukraine,” — Whitaker said.

“I am not aware of any changes in this program,” — the Washington representative emphasized.

This concerns the PURL (Prioritized Ukraine Requirements List) mechanism, which allows European NATO countries and Canada to finance purchases of US weapons for Ukraine in accordance with the priority needs of the Ukrainian army.

Whitaker's statement came after reports by the Financial Times and CNN that the administration of US President Donald Trump threatened to limit military support to Kyiv.

According to media reports, American representatives warned Ukrainian and European officials about the possibility of halting intelligence sharing and arms supplies through PURL if Ukraine does not stop strikes on Russian oil refineries.

Washington has increased pressure on Kyiv amid rising global diesel fuel prices. Earlier, the Trump administration eased restrictions on Russian fuel exports, and the US president announced reaching an agreement on an energy truce.

At the same time, Ukraine stated that it is ready to refrain from strikes on Russian energy facilities only if Moscow ceases similar attacks.

As previously reported by “Kurs Ukrainy”, US warnings about a possible halt in support caused concern among European allies. However, no official decision to stop the PURL program has been announced.

At the same time, Whitaker acknowledged that supplies of certain types of weapons are facing difficulties. This primarily concerns air defense systems, the demand for which significantly exceeds available quantities.

“Demand for air defense is very high, and its availability is probably not as good as we would like,” — the diplomat noted.

According to him, American and European companies are working on new technological solutions that will allow more effectively countering air threats. Whitaker called the current difficulties short-term, but acknowledged that time is critical.

The ambassador warned that the upcoming winter could be especially difficult for Ukraine if Russian attacks on energy infrastructure continue.

“Ukraine faces a winter during which, if there is no energy truce, its electricity and heating infrastructure could come under very heavy pressure,” — he stated.

Whitaker assured that Washington continues to work with allies that have air defense systems to expedite their transfer to Ukraine.

According to him, the US intends to seek additional available weapons stockpiles daily and increase production on both sides of the Atlantic.

Thus, the US representative to NATO confirmed the continuation of the existing weapons procurement mechanism for Ukraine. However, his statement does not contain new commitments regarding specific arms volumes or timelines for future deliveries.

Based on materials from: Kyiv Post, Financial Times, LRT.