Poland pauses contributions to PURL program for US weapons for Ukraine, Tusk says

In brief

• Poland has temporarily suspended contributions to the PURL program, which pays for American weapons for Ukraine.
• Prime Minister Donald Tusk cited a large state budget deficit and high defence spending as the reasons.
• The pause does not end Polish military aid to Ukraine, and a planned MiG-29 transfer for counter-drone technology is in final talks.

Budget pressure behind the pause

Prime Minister Donald Tusk announced on Friday, 13 November, that Poland will not make contributions to the PURL program for now. He said he informed NATO Secretary General Mark Rutte of the decision after a conversation with him (Polsko pozastavuje financování zbraní pro Ukrajinu – Novinky.cz) (Из-за дефицита бюджета Польша пока не будет финансировать закупку оружия у США для Украины – NV). According to Tusk, the main reasons are a significant deficit in the state budget and high defence spending in Poland (Польща призупинила фінансування закупівель зброї для України в рамках PURL, - Туск – UNIAN) (Польща не фінансуватиме закупівлю зброї США для України: Туск назвав причини – Espreso).

What the pause covers

The suspension concerns the funding of American weapons purchases for Ukraine, not an end to all Polish military aid to Kyiv. Under PURL, Ukraine compiles a list of the weapons and munitions it needs, and the United States and NATO agree on that list. Partner countries pay for the purchases, while Washington handles the deliveries. The items include Patriot air-defence systems and ammunition for HIMARS.

Poland's earlier commitments

Poland joined PURL at the end of 2025 and allocated $100 million for American weapons for Ukraine. In October, Dariusz Łukowski, director of the strategy and defence planning department at the Ministry of Defence, said Warsaw was preparing a military aid package worth 50 million euros. It was to include two MiG-29 fighter jets, artillery ammunition and air-defence missiles. On 10 November, deputy defence minister Cezary Tomczyk said Ukraine had agreed to provide counter-drone technology in exchange for the two MiG-29s, and the deal was in its final negotiation stage.