Pedro Sánchez: "Nothing and no one will make us forget what is happening in Ukraine"

Moncloa Palace, Madrid

The meeting between the two presidents was marked by the fifth year of the Russian invasion and by a global context exacerbated by the war in Iran. On Zelensky's fourth visit to Spain, the President of the Government of Spain reaffirmed his support for Ukraine in defending its sovereignty against "a cruel and unjust aggression."

During his remarks, President Sánchez emphasised that the Government of Spain will continue to support Ukraine. "Nothing and no one will make us forget what is happening in Ukraine," he stressed. "Spain, like the vast majority of the international community, unequivocally condemns this aggression against international law and the freedom of the Ukrainian people."

The President of the Government of Spain conveyed to his Ukrainian counterpart a new commitment of €1 billion in bilateral military support for 2026. This aid will be delivered by "working together and boosting co-production in the defence industry." To this end, several agreements have been signed, both between the Ministries of Defence of the two countries and between different companies in the sector, for cooperation in the manufacture of missiles and munitions guidance systems.

The President of the Government of Spain, Pedro Sánchez, and the President of Ukraine, Volodymyr Zelensky, during the signing of several bilateral agreements | Pool Moncloa / Fernando Calvo

Part of this support for Ukraine will be financed through the European Union's SAFE instrument, and president Sánchez emphasised that the Government of Spain will continue working to encourage other Member States to use this scheme to assist the country.

With this new announcement, between 2022 and 2026, the Government will have allocated €3.795 billion in military aid to Ukraine. €250 million was allocated in 2022; €420 million in 2023; In 2024, the figure was €1.072 billion; in 2025, it was €1.053 billion; and in 2026, an additional €1 billion will be added.

Pedro Sánchez also emphasised the need to focus on the reconstruction of Ukraine, prioritising the country's energy self-sufficiency, especially after Russian bombings reduced the country's electrical capacity. For this reason, six large generators with the capacity to supply 14,000 people have been delivered to the Ukrainian authorities.

In economic matters, an agreement on technical and financial cooperation has been signed, establishing rules and procedures to facilitate and support the implementation of projects in Ukraine financed, at least partially, by Spain and carried out with significant participation from Spanish institutions. Based on this agreement, a railway project between the Spanish Official Credit Institute (ICO) and Ukrainian Railways is included, which will allow for cooperation in engineering, design, and testing for automatic gauge switching.

Furthermore, a Memorandum of Understanding has been signed between the Diplomatic Academies of both countries to promote cooperation in the training of diplomatic and consular staff, as well as specialists in international affairs.

Pedro Sánchez also highlighted that, since the beginning of the invasion, Spain has mobilised €200 million to help in the reconstruction of Ukraine. In this regard, five schools have been restored and two more will be rebuilt, with a total funding of €5 million.

The President of the Government of Spain expressed the government's determination to defend international law, "applying the same standards to every act of aggression" and upholding the same principles in all conflicts, "which lead us to support Ukraine as a country and as a future member state of the European Union."

Finally, Pedro Sánchez told Volodímir Zelenski that "Spain will not stop looking towards Ukraine" nor will it forget the suffering of the Ukrainian people, which is why it will maintain its support as the "loyal, faithful and reliable ally" that it has always been.

Non official translation