Dear Pedro, esteemed Prime Minister,
Distinguished teams, respected journalists, and everyone present,
I am grateful to Spain for its support and for this visit – truly grateful. This is an important visit, one that will also, in many ways, support Ukraine and, importantly, allow us to expand our cooperation: the defense industries of our countries, our defensive capabilities, and our political cooperation. We value all of this very highly. And Pedro noted that this is the fourth visit during this war, and over the course of all these visits, I believe our relations have only grown stronger. Between our peoples – I want to thank you – I know how people in Spain, ordinary people, regard ordinary Ukrainians. This is, without doubt, a respect for Ukrainians, but it is also the respect Ukrainians feel for Spaniards. The way you treat our citizens. And, of course, Pedro, your messages. The national leader's energy always sets the tone, and therefore, I am very grateful to you for that. We highly value this attitude.
Today, there are new defense agreements between Ukraine and Spain, as well as our private sector and our companies. There is movement in economic and infrastructure cooperation between us, as the Prime Minister mentioned regarding the railway. These are important decisions. Humanitarian and diplomatic cooperation between our countries also continues.
The Prime Minister and I devoted significant attention today to air defense specifically. What a difficult winter it has been in Ukraine. Russia’s war against Ukraine continues just as brutally, unfortunately, just as relentlessly as before. Essentially, the Russians carry out large-scale attacks on our infrastructure at least five to six times a month, and drones and missiles strike daily, targeting the energy sector and Ukrainian cities. Russia can now afford to use more ballistic missiles than before – and that is dozens of ballistic missiles alone every month, as well as a significant number of cruise missiles and more destructive drones. Strengthening our air defense and supplying our systems with missiles is therefore an ongoing need, a continuous task, and a constant effort. Our previous meetings with the Prime Minister have been productive in this regard, and Spain has provided significant support for the protection of our skies. I thank you again for this.
Today, Pedro and I discussed various projects again, and I am very hopeful that we will implement all our projects and the agreements reached today as well – that these will be more than signatures, and I am confident in that. From our side, the state’s side, we will monitor this continuously. I firmly believe in co-production between our countries.
I began this visit at a Spanish defense enterprise, and we are working together with the Government of Spain and Spanish companies to ensure the tangible further technological development of our Defense Forces and our countries. Ukraine is ready to help with the knowledge we have gained during the war, especially the necessary drones, experience, and capabilities. Spain’s defense industry, in turn, can supply Ukraine with the shells, radars, and equipment we need. Our teams are already working through the details, and today, new agreements have been signed that expand this cooperation. Thank you.
It is important to note that Spain was among the first in Europe to allocate funds under the SAFE defense instrument to support production and assist Ukraine. Today, we agreed on a list of products to be manufactured within SAFE. And we are working with European states, including Spain, to ensure that the SAFE instrument and corresponding funds are also used to finance production in Ukraine. We count on Spain’s support in this.
We also discussed the PURL initiative – a Europe-wide program critically important for Ukraine. It allows us to purchase things that, unfortunately, have no alternative at this point… This is, regrettably, the only option – the only means available to protect our skies: the Patriot missiles. We are actively working to establish strong European production of anti-ballistic systems, and I am confident we will achieve results in this regard. But this, sadly, takes time. The protection of lives cannot wait, and the Russians do not halt their strikes even as we intensify diplomatic efforts. That is why we value every European contribution. I thank you, Pedro, for your support, and I thank NATO for coordinating these programs.
And one more thing. I want to highlight our cooperation in infrastructure, in particular, the contract between the Spanish company TRIA and our Ukrzaliznytsia. These agreements will enhance Ukraine’s logistical capacities and represent yet another component of our stronger ties with the European Union and partners across Europe. I thank you for this, as well as for Spain’s constant, steadfast, and tangible support for Ukraine in terms of EU integration, sanctions against Russian aggression, and guaranteeing our security, including financial guarantees. Today, we also discussed the EUR 90 billion package for Ukraine from Europe – this package needs to be unlocked. Spain supports us in this, especially as this is not just about finances, but also the basic justice that must exist in Europe. The decision on this support package was made in the context of the fate of frozen Russian assets in Europe, which must be used to protect against Russian attacks and support post-war recovery. Unfortunately, the decision to transfer the Russian assets to Ukraine was not adopted; instead, a financial stability package was created – essentially based on the continued freezing of Russian assets. And it is extremely important for us to get this financing. That is why it is so crucial for the European support package to start working as quickly as possible. We sincerely hope that Europe will ensure the actual implementation of the adopted decision, all the more so because it is a matter of justice and because the real protection of human lives depends on it. I thank everyone who supports us in this. Tomorrow, we will discuss this further, including within the framework of the European Council. Thank you again, Pedro, for this visit!
Thank you, Spain!
Glory to Ukraine!
