NATO opens its procurement agency NSPA to Ukraine, letting Kyiv buy weapons and munitions

A new buying channel

Kyiv will be able to purchase weapons, ammunition and other military equipment through the NATO Support and Procurement Agency (NSPA), the alliance's central procurement body, which is based in Luxembourg. Jacqueline Borsboom, the agency's director for operational support, told the Financial Times that the arrangement gives Ukraine a more structured framework for drawing on the agency's services, including procurement expertise, support services and access to an established network of defence suppliers. Borsboom said the mechanism could make military purchases faster and cheaper and would bring economies of scale. She gave the example of Ukraine asking the agency to buy 30,000 uniforms on its behalf. The NSPA says it currently runs 32 multinational partnerships for logistic support covering more than 90 major weapons systems, including helicopters, radar, guided missiles, armoured vehicles and airborne reconnaissance systems. The agency employs around 1,550 staff and works with more than 2,500 contractors worldwide.

Work that predates the deal

The opening builds on cooperation between NATO and Ukraine in procurement that is already under way. In July 2026, representatives of both sides drew up ten new project ideas in Ostrava in the Czech Republic, aimed at bringing Ukrainian arms procurement in line with the procedures of Western partners.

Both steps belong to a strategic review of arms procurement agreed at the 2024 NATO summit in Washington. The review aims to link procurement, military planning and industrial policy more closely.

Strained ties with Washington

The move comes as relations between Washington and Kyiv have cooled. In early October, President Donald Trump announced an agreement with Russia on diesel supplies, which he said would lower fuel prices in the United States. Ukraine has complained about restrictions on sharing some intelligence and on its use of the Starshield satellite system, which its army relies on for battlefield communications. At a meeting of senior officials in Oslo on Tuesday, 20 October, participants agreed to address those issues, Volodymyr Zelenskyy said. Trump said on Wednesday, 21 October, that the end of the war in Ukraine was very close, but attempts to reach a peace deal have yet to produce results, with Moscow holding firm on its demands. The suspension of US sanctions on Russia under a bill known as the Lindsey Graham act has also drawn concern in Kyiv and among its allies.