At the Moncloa Palace, the official residence of Spain’s Head of Government, President Volodymyr Zelenskyy met with Prime Minister Pedro Sánchez in one-on-one and extended formats.
The Head of State thanked Spain for its unwavering support for Ukraine, for Ukrainians, and for our independence since the very beginning of Russia’s full-scale war.
“Spain helps our defense. And I am especially grateful for the decision you, Pedro, made regarding the Hawks and for the weapons that have helped us defend against Russian assaults,” said the President.
During the meeting, a great deal of attention was devoted to defense cooperation. The President emphasized that Spain consistently implements the bilateral security agreement, which ensures confidence in the annual support of EUR 1 billion. Pedro Sánchez also announced that Spain will contribute EUR 100 million to the PURL initiative, provide an economic package of EUR 200 million, including support for energy, and allocate over EUR 200 million through the SAFE instrument.
“Today, we communicated with Spanish defense companies. I want to thank them. We had a very productive discussion. Ukraine is preparing a project to supply, among other things, long-range detection radars, which could significantly strengthen our capabilities,” added Volodymyr Zelenskyy.
Furthermore, Spain is preparing a new defense aid package worth EUR 300 million, which will include 40 missiles for the IRIS-T air defense systems. The Head of State noted that this will make a substantial difference for Ukraine and expressed his gratitude for the decision.
Another key topic during the meeting was the situation on the battlefield and in diplomacy. Spain supports the necessary pressure on Russia to end the war.
“This includes sanctions, our European efforts against the Russian tanker fleet, and our work regarding Russian assets, which must be fully used to defend against Russian aggression,” the President said.
The Prime Minister of Spain assured further support for Ukraine from his country and highlighted the determination of all the Ukrainian people in their fight for freedom.
Before the official talks, Pedro Sánchez met with Volodymyr Zelenskyy at the Reina Sofía National Art Center in Madrid as a sign of solidarity and support for Ukrainians. There, the Prime Minister showed the President one of the paintings by Spanish artist Pablo Picasso – Guernica, the famous anti-war art manifesto of the last century. The painting depicts the suffering of civilians during the bombing of the town of Guernica in April 1937.
“I believe this image is very important for us – Picasso’s Guernica is a universal symbol, a symbol of the barbarity of war. We also recalled here that the painting was shown in Spain only after Spain gained freedom and democracy. I am confident that the same will happen in Ukraine; it will happen. I hope it will be as soon as possible,” said Pedro Sánchez.
Also, in the presence of Volodymyr Zelenskyy and Pedro Sánchez, five bilateral documents were signed: a Memorandum of Understanding between the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, European Union and Cooperation of the Kingdom of Spain and the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Ukraine on Russian Disinformation; Memorandum of Understanding on Cooperation in the Field of Tourism between the Ministry of Industry and Tourism of the Kingdom of Spain and the State Agency for Tourism Development of Ukraine; a Letter of Intent for Signing an Agreement on Technical and Financial Cooperation between Ukraine and Spain; a Memorandum of Understanding between the Ministry of Economy, Trade and Business of the Kingdom of Spain and the Ministry of Economy, Environment and Agriculture of Ukraine on Mechanisms for Bilateral Economic and Financial Cooperation; and a Memorandum of Understanding on industrial cooperation in the security and defense sector between the Spanish Companies Escribano and Tecnove and the Ukrainian company Praktyka.
