Norway to provide more support for Ukraine via NATO initiative

Norway aims to provide 2 billion Norwegian kroner (198 million U.S. dollars) to a NATO-coordinated aid package for Ukraine, the Norwegian government said in a press release on Wednesday, reported Xinhua.

Norwegian Prime Minister Jonas Gahr Store said the Nordic country is joining a group of European countries to fund a package that will secure defense equipment for Ukraine.

Several European countries are coordinating contributions under the new U.S.-led initiative -- Prioritized Ukraine Requirements List (PURL) -- a program through which NATO allies fund military assistance for Ukraine drawn directly from the U.S. weapon stockpiles.

Norway has previously contributed 1.5 billion Norwegian kroner to an earlier PURL package.

The PURL initiative was officially launched on July 14 by U.S. President Donald Trump and NATO Secretary General Mark Rutte.