On Friday, October 17, Finland decided to send Ukraine the 30th defense package. It was approved by Finland’s President Alexander Stubb on the government’s proposal. According to the Finnish Ministry of Defense, this package will cost about 52 million euros and largely consists of new orders from Finnish companies. It is also known that the total value of defense equipment provided to Ukraine has already reached 2.9 billion euros.
“Given the size of its economy, Finland is one of the countries that has supported Ukraine the most. This week we also announced participation in the NATO initiative – PURL, which buys weapon systems from the United States that are critical for Ukraine. The future of a free and secure Europe will be decided in Ukraine – this requires perseverance and resilience from all allies
– Antti Häkkänen
Context and Prospects
In the context of greater support for Ukraine in the spring of 2025, the Finnish Ministry of Defense launched a support program by ordering products from Finnish defense companies, aimed at meeting critical needs and preserving the production and supply capabilities of the companies. The ministry stressed that the decision on the 30th package took into account both Ukraine’s needs and the available resources of the Finnish Armed Forces.
Regarding the PURL program: On July 14, the United States and NATO signed an agreement that provides for the purchase of American weapons for Ukraine using funds from partner countries. Expected deliveries include air defense systems, missiles, and ammunition. Denmark has already allocated about 580 million Danish kroner, Sweden 275 million dollars, Norway about 135 million dollars. Earlier, the Netherlands funded the first package under PURL to the tune of 500 million euros, and Germany also joined the program.
On September 18, a NATO representative reported that the first military equipment provided under the agreement between the United States and NATO within the framework of the PURL program had arrived in Ukraine. More deliveries are expected soon. After meeting with NATO Secretary General Mark Rutte on September 24, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky noted that within two months of the program’s creation its funding had already reached 2.1 billion dollars. Rutte emphasized the importance of increasing contributions and the number of participating countries in the initiative.
Overall, Finland’s support for Ukraine remains an important element of European security and the joint efforts to strengthen the defense capabilities of regional allies.