Sanchez announces the sending of 1 billion euros in military aid to Ukraine

Pedro Sánchez reaffirmed this Monday Spain's support for Ukrainian democracy and President Volodymyr Zelensky in order to "achieve a fair and lasting peace" on which "the freedom, security and future of all Europeans depend."

The Prime Minister, who travelled to Kyiv to take part in the summit of Ukraine's allies, has announced that Spain will send a new package of military aid worth 1 billion euros to the Ukrainian people. “Spain is committed to the full sovereignty of Ukraine and welcomes all efforts to work for peace, but this must be fair, sustainable and comprehensive. For peace to be fair, Ukraine must sit at the negotiating table. For peace to be sustainable, Europe must participate in it. That is why we will continue to support Ukraine for as long as necessary. We will not fail it when it needs us most. Spain will continue to provide military support and equipment with even more determination than in the past,” he said.

Sánchez described Ukraine's accession to the European Union as the “most important victory” for the Ukrainian people. “Ukraine has its hope in Europe, but Europe also has its hope in Ukraine. You give us hope by defending the values ​​and ideas of freedom for which many Europeans gave their lives in the past. Let me conclude precisely with this idea of ​​hope. Difficult months await us, but I am convinced that at the end of this terrible period, freedom and democracy will prevail over violence and authoritarianism,” the Prime Minister concluded.

Difficult months await us, but I am convinced that at the end of this terrible period, freedom and democracy will prevail over violence and authoritarianism. Pedro Sanchez President of the Government

This commitment by the Executive has been ratified by the Minister of Foreign Affairs, José Manuel Albares, who announced a few hours ago that Spain will vote in favour of the resolution proposed by Ukraine to achieve peace before the United Nations General Assembly. And, together with this, it will demand funding for security matters that could even be the seed of a true European Army that favours the integration and development of European defence industries.

The meeting, which includes 13 European leaders and Canada, was held to mark the third anniversary of the Russian invasion on a day when alarm bells about a possible air attack were once again heard in Kyiv after Russian MiG-31 fighter jets were detected taking off.

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The geopolitical shift brought about by the United States' rapprochement with Russia has been used by the Ukrainian president to stress that any agreement to end the war requires guaranteeing Ukraine sufficient defence resources: "Peace is only possible with security guarantees for Ukraine," said Zelensky in his inaugural speech.

The message is unequivocal. After US President Donald Trump called Zelensky a “dictator” and blamed him for Russia’s invasion of Ukraine, the European Union has moved quickly and firmly to demonstrate EU support for the Ukrainian government on the day that marks three years since the entry of Russian forces into the country: “There will be no just peace without Ukraine and without the EU. Only Ukraine can decide when peace negotiations begin,” said the President of the European Council, António Costa.

This line of action has been repeated in many of the speeches by continental leaders, such as that of German President Frank-Walter Steinmeier, who refuted Trump's accusations by stressing that "it was Russia that started the war, and it is Russia that wants to destroy Ukraine," or that of Finnish Prime Minister Petteri Orpo, who warned President Vladimir Putin that "Russia is not the one that decides Ukraine's accession to the EU, nor its access to NATO or its borders."