The head of the Office of the President of Ukraine, Andriy Yermak, and the Minister for Foreign Affairs, European Union and Cooperation, José Manuel Albares, during the meeting they held
In the meeting, marked by the escalation of Russian attacks against energy infrastructure and hybrid provocations against European countries, Albares reiterated Spain's unequivocal support for Ukraine for as long as necessary.
In view of the gravity of the situation on the ground and the unacceptable indiscriminate attacks against critical energy infrastructure, Minister Albares reiterated that "now more than ever, Spain will continue to support Ukraine", adding that "strengthening it in all areas is a priority for our country, because what we defend in Ukraine are European values, international law, and our democracy".
Critical infrastructure
Energy sufficiency was a key point of the meeting, as the ongoing Russian attacks and bombings have resulted in the loss of 70% of Ukraine's electricity generation capacity, destroying or damaging generation and transmission infrastructure, affecting energy, water, heating and other basic services. The consequences include widespread power outages, especially in winter. For this reason, the AECID recently provided 70 generators to Ukraine.
Looking further ahead, Spain has already begun providing aid for the country's reconstruction under the "Build Back Better" approach. Energy, along with water, will be one of Spain's key priorities in 2026.
Support in figures
In the military sphere, Spain will continue to provide equipment and training-more than 8,000 soldiers have been trained in our country to date. And, in the political sphere, Spain's support is unequivocal, both through the EU and NATO, as well as through our security agreements and by exerting economic pressure through new sanctions packages against Russia.
With regard to bilateral support, in 2024 Spain disbursed its pledged contribution of €1 billion for military aid, and another €1 billion is planned for 2025, according to the agreement signed by President Sánchez and President Zelensky in May 2024 in Madrid. In addition, we have contributed over €110 million in humanitarian aid and have committed nearly €600 million to the reconstruction of Ukraine, primarily in the form of financial assistance, but also through various projects.
We have also welcomed more than 250,000 Ukrainians up to June 2025, who currently enjoy temporary protection in our country. Spain has the fourth largest Ukrainian diaspora in the European Union under this scheme. And, right now, our schools, institutes, and universities are teaching more than 40,000 Ukrainian children.
Russian disinformation
During the meeting, Albares signed an agreement that will lead the two countries to combat Russian disinformation in Latin America through joint cooperation mechanisms designed to curb these practices. To this end, seminars and training courses will be established to identify and combat these practices using specific methodologies, along with the production of Spanish-language content to counter this narrative.
Albares reiterated to Yermak the need for unity and close coordination within the EU as a principle that should guide EU actions in the coming months. In this regard, Spain is playing an active role within the European Union in supporting Ukraine politically, financially, and militarily, as well as through humanitarian aid.
The security guarantees needed for Ukraine, Spain's commitment to the country's reconstruction, and the need for accountability, because there can be no peace without justice, were among the other issues discussed at the meeting.
Non official translation