Speaking in Brussels at a meeting of the Ukraine Defense Contact Group, Hegseth urged European countries to increase their investment in weapons purchases through the new Prioritized Ukraine Requirements List, or PURL, initiative. He said allies must “turn words into action” and that there would be “no free riders” when it comes to supporting Ukraine.

The PURL program, aimed at coordinating and speeding up the supply of arms to Kyiv, has so far secured about $2 billion in commitments. Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky had hoped to raise at least $3.5 billion by October, but many countries are still working through their contributions.

NATO Secretary-General Mark Rutte confirmed that more than half of NATO’s member states have now joined the PURL program, saying that the commitments made in Brussels would soon translate into real capabilities for Ukraine on the battlefield. Swedish Defense Minister Pal Jonson said there is now greater unity between the U.S. and European partners in dealing with Russia, emphasizing that President Vladimir Putin shows no genuine interest in peace talks and will only negotiate under pressure.

Ukraine’s Defense Minister Denys Shmyhal thanked countries that announced new contributions and said decisive action was needed to increase pressure on Russia and bring the war to an end.

At the same time, one of the biggest questions surrounding Ukraine’s future defense remains whether it will gain access to U.S.-made Tomahawk cruise missiles. Ukraine has made clear it wants its European allies to be able to purchase these long-range weapons under the PURL mechanism, but the final decision rests with U.S. President Donald Trump.

Trump told reporters that President Zelensky will make his case during his upcoming visit to the White House, saying Ukraine wants to take the fight to Russia. “They want to go offensive,” Trump said. “I’ll make a determination on that.”

The potential transfer of Tomahawks, which could allow Ukraine to strike deep inside Russian territory, has drawn sharp warnings from Moscow. Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov said supplying those missiles would cause “colossal damage” to U.S.-Russia relations and would be seen as a major escalation. NATO officials in Brussels confirmed that the issue of Tomahawks was not on the meeting’s agenda, describing it as a bilateral matter between Washington and Kyiv.

Although the question of long-range missiles remains unresolved, NATO countries pledged new support in other areas. Britain announced plans to supply 100,000 drones to Ukraine, while the Netherlands committed 90 million euros to help Kyiv develop its own drone production capabilities. These promises come amid growing concern over Russian drone incursions into NATO airspace, including recent incidents over Poland that forced NATO aircraft to shoot down suspected Russian drones. Moscow denies it deliberately violated NATO airspace.

British Defense Minister John Healey said such actions by Russia were “reckless, dangerous and totally unacceptable,” adding that British aircraft would continue to operate in Polish airspace through the end of the year. Dutch Defense Minister Ruben Brekelmans said Europe needed more effective and affordable ways to counter drone threats, noting that while Dutch F-35s successfully intercepted drones over Poland, the fighter jets were not the most efficient option for such missions.

Latvia’s Defense Minister Andris Sprūds said it was crucial for Ukraine to have weapons capable of hitting military targets inside Russia, calling it a legitimate act of self-defense in response to Moscow’s attacks on civilian infrastructure. Finland’s Defense Minister Antti Hakkanen warned that even after the war in Ukraine ends, Russia will remain a long-term threat to Europe, pointing to its ongoing military buildup near NATO borders and continued modernization of its forces.

The meeting in Brussels reflected both determination and caution among NATO allies — a united front in providing more support for Ukraine, but hesitation over how far to go in equipping Kyiv for offensive operations. For now, the Tomahawk missiles remain in Washington’s hands, while Europe’s contributions focus on drones, funding, and collective resolve — the “firepower” that Hegseth says will define the next stage of Ukraine’s fight against Russia.