The Pentagon is considering diverting air defense munitions originally intended for Ukraine to support U.S. operations in the Middle East, The Washington Post reported on March 26, citing sources familiar with internal deliberations. The Pentagon has separately notified Congress of plans to redirect roughly $750 million in European-funded procurement to replenish U.S. military inventories.

The PURL mechanism was established after Washington curtailed most direct military aid to Ukraine, allowing European allies to finance U.S.-produced weapons for Kyiv. However, production of advanced air defense systems remains constrained by long lead times and limited industrial capacity, while Ukraine continues to face sustained Russian missile and drone attacks that require a steady supply of interceptors.