Robles reaffirms Spain's commitment to the Alliance and sustained support for Ukraine in Brussels

Group photo of the meeting of NATO defence ministers held in Brussels

The Minister for Defence, Margarita Robles, took part in the meeting of NATO defence ministers in Brussels, held at NATO Headquarters. The day focused on strengthening deterrence and defence, progress on capability goals, and boosting industry to ensure the availability of means and material in the most demanding security context of recent decades.

During the ministerial session, Robles stressed that cohesion among allies is a prerequisite for protecting all member states and sustaining a credible collective defence. In this context, she reaffirmed Spain's efforts to fulfil its commitments and underlined the contribution of the Spanish Armed Forces to presence, deterrence and security in the different hotspots, maintaining a 360-degree vision of security.

To conclude the ministerial meeting, the minister also took part in an informal exchange in NATO-Ukraine Council format, where the allies reiterated their support for Kiev and the need to maintain unity and resolve, in the presence for the first time of Ukraine's new defence minister, Mykhailo Fedorov.

Minister Robles held a bilateral meeting in the margins of the meeting with the Deputy Prime Minister of Australia, Richard Marles, with whom she signed an agreement on information security, in addition to discussing various issues of bilateral military and industrial cooperation.

Support for Ukraine

Taking advantage of the presence of the defence ministers in Brussels, the 33rd meeting of the Contact Group for the Defence of Ukraine then took place, in which Robles reaffirmed the continuity of Spanish support in accordance with the Bilateral Security Agreement with Ukraine, and in coordination with international partners and organisations.

Robles stressed that Spain will continue to contribute military assistance, humanitarian support and training. In this regard, she stressed that nearly 9,000 Ukrainian military personnel have received training in specialised modules in Spain, a figure that represents more than 10% of the total number of troops trained in the framework of the EU's Military Assistance Mission to Ukraine. She also highlighted initiatives such as the reception of the families of Ukrainian military personnel for rest and recuperation periods, health care for the seriously wounded, and humanitarian evacuation flights.

The minister concluded by reiterating Ukraine's strong support and determination, both to sustain the country's defence and to alleviate the human impact of the war. This commitment, she recalled, responds to the defence of freedom, peace and security in Europe, and will be maintained "for as long as necessary".

Non official translation