PM Golob: Slovenia joins PURL initiative

Slovenia joins the PURL initiative to purchase U.S. weapons for Ukraine at the expense of NATO allies.

The corresponding announcement was made on Monday in Ljubljana during a joint press conference with NATO Secretary General Mark Rutte by the country's Prime Minister Robert Golob.

Pointing to the recent bombing of Ukrainian cities and infrastructure, he stated that it was their duty to help protect the Ukrainian people. For this reason, Slovenia had decided to join the PURL initiative aimed at safeguarding civilians and infrastructure, which he stressed was particularly important on the eve of winter.

When asked what funding would be allocated for this purchase, Golob replied that he could not disclose the amount, as it was classified. He explained that he did not have the authority to declassify it at that time, but clarified that the expenditure was included within the 2025 budget of the Ministry of Defense, emphasizing that it did not represent additional spending.

The Slovenian Prime Minister further specified that the funding would be directed toward defense capabilities, including air defense and ground-based air defense, to protect energy and civilian infrastructure. He added that for quite some time Slovenia had been supplying Ukraine exclusively with defense equipment, and that this would also apply to the current package.