Essential military equipment is still being delivered to Ukraine through the programme that funds the supply of U.S. arms for Kyiv, NATO Secretary General Mark Rutte said on Thursday (March 26).

"The critical support from the United States into Ukraine paid for by allies continues to flow. And this is crucial, because this is next to the intelligence U.S. are sharing with Ukraine," Rutte told reporters in Brussels.

DESCRIPCIÓN DE IMÁGENES

NATO's Rutte sees sharp increase in defence spending in annual report

VIDEO SHOWS: SOUNDBITES FROM NATO'S RUTTE

EDITORS PLEASE NOTE: 6903-NATO-RUTTE/FILE WAS SENT ON MARCH 25, 2026

REFEEDING VIDEO TO ADD SOUNDBITE ON IRAN

SHOWS: BRUSSELS, BELGIUM (MARCH 26, 2026) (NATO - Access all)

1. NATO SECRETARY GENERAL, MARK RUTTE, STANDING AT PODIUM DURING NEWS CONFERENCE

2. (SOUNDBITE) (English) NATO SECRETARY GENERAL, MARK RUTTE, SAYING:

"We have made significant progress on defense investments, and NATO is stronger today than it has ever been. In 2025 for the first time all allies met the goal agreed in 2014 to invest at least 2% of their GDP on defense. And many went much further. In fact, we saw a 20% increase in what Europe and Canada spent on defense in 2025 as compared with 2024."

3. RUTTE TAKING QUESTIONS FROM JOURNALISTS

4. JOURNALIST ASKING QUESTION

5. (SOUNDBITE) (English) NATO SECRETARY GENERAL, MARK RUTTE, SAYING:

"The good news is that essential equipment into Ukraine continues to flow. And that is important because we have to do everything. And NATO is very much involved through the commanding Wiesbauer, through JTAC, individual nations providing support to Ukraine, including the essential equipment coming from the United States, paid for by European allies, getting into Ukraine. So that continues. That's good."

6. VARIOUS OF RUTTE SPEAKING AT PODIUM

7. (SOUNDBITE) (English) NATO SECRETARY GENERAL, MARK RUTTE, SAYING:

"This crucial equipment through PURL, so this U.S. vital equipment for Ukraine, including interceptors, is continuing to flow into Ukraine. And let me add that since the launch, and that was, of course, last summer, PURL has now supplied around 75% of all missiles for Ukraine's Patriot batteries and 90% of the ammunition used in other air defense systems. So this is an important program, again, continuing to flow."

8. RUTTE TAKING QUESTIONS FROM JOURNALISTS

9. JOURNALIST ASKING QUESTION

10. (SOUNDBITE) (English) NATO SECRETARY GENERAL, MARK RUTTE, SAYING:

"When it comes to ammunition particularly, as you know, there's some good news that we have been able to increase the production of ammunition six-fold compared to a couple of years ago. But still, clearly, there's more to do. And when you look at a broader defense industrial base, and this is an issue, which we have to confront both in the United States and Canada as well as in Europe. The defense industrial base at the moment is simply not producing enough, and we are not fast enough in implementing innovation."

11. RUTTE TAKING QUESTION FROM REUTERS JOURNALIST, LILI BAYER

12. (SOUNDBITE) (English) NATO SECRETARY GENERAL, MARK RUTTE, SAYING:

"It's not for me, and it's not very difficult to do it as an open pressure, but to comment on individual weapon deliveries. But I can assure you that the critical support from the United States into Ukraine, paid for by allies, so this famous abbreviation PURL, continues to flow. And this is crucial because this is next to the intelligence the U.S. is sharing with Ukraine, which is essential. It is also essential defense industrial output from the United States from their stockpiles when it comes to, for example, interceptors for Patriot systems, but also other crucial and vital military gear."

13. RUTTE TAKING QUESTIONS FROM JOURNALISTS

14. (SOUNDBITE) (English) NATO SECRETARY GENERAL, MARK RUTTE, SAYING:

"Iran cannot possess a nuclear weapon. And NATO has long recognized this threat Iran's missile program posed to allies and their interests. And what the United States is currently doing is degrading those capabilities both the nuclear and the missile."

15. NATO PRESS SECRETARY ENDING NEWS CONFERENCE

16. RUTTE LEAVING PODIUM