LOC13:20
10:20 GMT
BRUSSELS, October 15 (KUNA) -- US Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth on Wednesday called on NATO member states to increase their spending on US made weapons for Ukraine, stressing that "peace is achieved through real strength, not through strong words or finger-wagging."
Speaking to reporters ahead of a NATO defense ministers' meeting in Brussels, Hegseth said, "You get peace when you are strong, not when you use strong words or wag your finger, but when you have real capabilities that adversaries respect," emphasizing the need to strengthen both NATO's and Ukraine's military capabilities in the face of Russia.
The US secretary of defense explained that he expects more European countries to announce new contributions to the Prioritized Ukraine Requirements List (PURL) program, which allows Washington's allies to finance the purchase of American weapons for Ukraine.
"Our expectation today is that countries will donate more and buy more to provide Ukraine with what it needs to bring this conflict to a peaceful end," he said.
He added that around two billion dollars have been committed so far by several countries, but Washington and Kyiv hope that major states such as Britain, France, Spain, and Italy will also join the program.
For his part, NATO Secretary-General Mark Rutte said that "around two billion dollars have been committed so far, and we expect further pledges soon," noting that the amount remains below the target set by Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky, who had hoped to secure USD 3.5 billion by the end of October.
Rutte also stated that NATO is working to accelerate the development of its defense capabilities against drones, adding that "the alliance is learning from Ukraine's experience and is striving to implement the latest technologies as soon as possible."
Meanwhile, British Minister John Healey warned that "Russian President Vladimir Putin is watching what we do, and he should have no doubt that if NATO is threatened, we will act."
It is worth noting that US President Donald Trump is reportedly considering allowing the supply of long-range Tomahawk missiles to Ukraine, despite Kremlin warnings, a move that could grant Kyiv the capability to strike targets deep inside Russia. (end)
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