"Weapon Support Falls Short by 1.2 Trillion Won This Year," President Zelensky Appeals

$15 Billion Needed Next Year, Says Zelensky
UK Maintains Stance on Freezing Russian Assets

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky announced on December 8 (local time) that the PURL (Priority Ukraine Requirements List) system, which utilizes European funds to procure U.S. weapons, has fallen short of its target for this year.

The PURL system allows Ukraine to present a list of urgently needed weapons, after which NATO member states send funds to the U.S. government to purchase American-made weapons. This system was introduced in August after U.S. President Donald Trump established the principle that the U.S. government would only approve arms exports without using its own budget.

Volodymyr Zelensky, President of Ukraine. Photo by AP Yonhap News

According to Yonhap News, citing the British daily The Guardian, the planned U.S. weapons purchases through the PURL system fell short by $800 million (1.175 trillion won). President Zelensky stated that the total amount required to operate the PURL system next year will reach $15 billion (22 trillion won).

On December 8, President Zelensky met with the leaders of the United Kingdom, France, and Germany in London to discuss possible solutions to end the war, postwar security guarantees, and the use of frozen Russian assets in Europe. He then traveled to Brussels, Belgium, for further talks with NATO Secretary General Mark Rutte and European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen.

Following the London meeting, the UK Prime Minister's Office assessed that "there was positive progress on the issue of using immobilized Russian state assets for Ukraine's reconstruction." The UK currently has 8 billion pounds (15.7 trillion won) of Russian assets frozen and has stated its intention to act in coordination with the EU.

Pope Leo XIV meets with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky. EPA Yonhap News photo. Photo by EPA Yonhap News

The Guardian reported that EU leaders will decide at a meeting on December 18-19 whether to approve a European Commission plan to use 90 billion euros (approximately 153 trillion won) of frozen Russian assets within the bloc next year to provide "reparations loans" to Ukraine.

Meanwhile, on December 9 (local time), President Zelensky met with Pope Leo XIV. According to the Vatican, the Pope received President Zelensky at his residence in Castel Gandolfo near the Vatican and emphasized the need for dialogue to achieve peace.

The Pope reiterated the necessity of continuing dialogue and expressed his earnest hope that current diplomatic efforts will lead to a just and lasting peace.