ISTANBUL

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy met NATO Secretary General Mark Rutte in Munich to discuss the funding and expansion of the Prioritized Ukraine Requirements List (PURL) initiative, which facilitates the purchase of missiles for air defense systems, his office said.

"Ukraine deeply values every country’s contribution. We are counting on continued funding for this initiative, which enables us to purchase missiles for air defense systems," Zelenskyy said during the meeting held on the sidelines of the Munich Security Conference.

He said the discussion touched upon strengthening Ukraine's defense capabilities through joint ventures in Europe and expressed gratitude for the "highly productive" meeting in the Ramstein format, where partners confirmed the allocation of €38 billion in military aid for the war-torn country.

At the annual forum, Zelenskyy​​​​​​​ termed European "unity" as the "best interceptor" against threats. He also insisted that elections in Ukraine can only take place two months after a ceasefire with Russia is declared.