Spain unveils $1.2 billion in military aid for Ukraine
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Spain announced a 1 billion euro ($1.2 billion) military aid package for Ukraine for 2026 on March 18, coinciding with President Volodymyr Zelensky's visit to the country.
The tranche, partially funded by the EU's SAFE Program, will focus on joint production with the Ukrainian defense industry.
With the latest package, "Spain's assistance in this war will reach 4 billion euros ($4.6 billion)," Spanish Prime Minister Pedro Sanchez said during a joint press conference with Zelensky.
The Ukrainian leader arrived in Madrid for talks with Spanish officials and to attend the signing of new defense and economic cooperation agreements.
Sanchez received Zelensky at the Moncloa Palace, where the two reportedly discussed the Russia-Ukraine war in the context of the ongoing conflict in the Middle East, as well as Spanish support for the Ukrainian energy sector.
During the visit, the Ukrainian and Spanish governments signed documents on cooperation in the defense, diplomatic, transport, and financial sectors, the Presidential Office said.
"Ukraine is ready to help with the necessary drones, experience, and capabilities," Zelensky commented on social media.
"Spain's defense industry, in turn, can supply Ukraine with the ammunition, radars, equipment, and other resources we need."
The president has also visited the Sener Aerospace & Defense company to "inspect equipment samples and the production process," presidential spokesperson Serhii Nykyforov told reporters.
Sener Aerospace & Defense is a division of the Spanish Sener engineering group, specializing in the production of systems and parts for satellites, communications, missile guidance, and other technologies, including components of the German IRIS-T air defense system used by Ukraine.
Three of the four agreements signed by Ukrainian manufacturers in Spain were concluded with Sener and focused on "cooperation in the missile sector and air defense," Zelensky said.
"Strengthening air defense and protecting lives are our top priorities," the president said on X.
"We are also interested in joint projects in the field of long-range drone production. Ukraine has new developments and is ready to scale them up."
As part of his visit, Zelensky also met the heads of the Spanish parliament and is scheduled to meet King Felipe VI.
Spain, a NATO and EU member, has provided military, financial, and other support to Kyiv since the outbreak of Russia's full-scale invasion in 2022, including Leopard 2A4 tanks and training for Ukrainian soldiers.
The president is visiting Spain a day after traveling to the U.K., where he met King Charles III, British Prime Minister Keir Starmer, and NATO Secretary General Mark Rutte and signed a defense agreement with London.
Last week, Zelensky met French President Emmanuel Macron in Paris and the Romanian leadership in Bucharest, as he seeks to bolster European support in the face of Russia's ongoing invasion.
The visits take place amid rising tensions between Washington and its European allies, who have been reluctant to back U.S. President Donald Trump in the U.S.-Israeli military campaign against Iran.
Trump has publicly derided both Starmer and Sanchez for their positions on the conflict, and even threatened to cut off all trade with Spain over its refusal to support U.S. military operations in Iran.
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The Kyiv Independent news desk
Kollen Post
