The Diplomat
The President of the Government, Pedro Sánchez, yesterday made his second trip to Kyiv, where he announced with President Volodimir Zelensky that Spain could send up to ten Leopard 2A4 battle tanks to Ukraine, four more than those announced the day before by the Minister of Defense, Margarita Robles, in Congress.
Sánchez went to Ukraine yesterday for the second time since the beginning of the invasion, just one year ago (the previous visit was in April last year, accompanied by the Prime Minister of Denmark, Mette Frederiksen). During this visit to the Ukrainian capital (which was not announced in the Government Agenda for security reasons), the President visited the city of Bucha and the neighborhood of Irpin, two areas surrounding Kyiv which, at the beginning of the invasion between February and March 2022, were occupied by Russian troops and in which the Ukrainian Prosecutor’s Office has documented massacres and other war crimes.
Likewise, Pedro Sánchez was received by Volodimir Zelensky, with whom he later held a joint press conference in which the President of the Government stated that the reason for his visit was to express Spain’s support for Ukraine on the eve of the anniversary of the beginning of the Russian invasion, because it is “an attacked people and there can be no equidistance”. The President again demanded the “immediate” withdrawal of Russian troops from Ukrainian territory and reiterated that Spain does not recognize the “false annexations” of Ukrainian territories by Russia because they are “a flagrant violation of the basic principles of International Law”.
Pedro Sánchez addressed with Zelensky the military aid that Spain has sent to Ukraine, both ammunition and vehicles and weapons. “We understand that Ukraine needs more to put an end to this aggression and recover its territories,” he stated at the press conference. For this reason, he continued, “my government announced this Wednesday the decision to send six Leopard tanks”, although, he specified, Spain could increase the number of tanks to ten “if necessary”.
The day before, Robles assured before the plenary session of Congress that Spain would send six tanks, but he specified that this number could be increased “if necessary and if the allied countries requested it”. The head of the Executive did not want to give specific dates for the deliveries “for confidentiality reasons”, but he specified that the objective is to do it “as soon as possible” (the minister spoke of the end of March or the beginning of April). He also assured that an attempt is being made to synchronize the supply of the Leopards with the training of Ukrainian soldiers in their handling because the aid “package”, he said, includes the training of the military.
Pedro Sánchez also informed that Spain is going to ask Switzerland to unblock the delivery of two Swiss-made 35 mm anti-aircraft guns, after the Swiss government rejected, last February 10, a request of the Spanish government to donate this material to Ukraine, under the law which prevents the entry of Swiss war material into a country at war. The head of the Executive admitted that Zelensky had asked him for “air assistance” during their bilateral meeting, but he specified that this decision must be dealt with within NATO as a whole.
On the other hand, Sanchez praised Zelensky’s “audacity and courage” for his ten-point peace proposal. “We support this peace proposal,” he assured. “We are going to help you, dear Volodimir,” he added. For his part, Zekenski told the press conference that he finds it “positive” that China has proposed a plan to end the Ukrainian war, although he said it is too early to “analyze it” and that his government will draw conclusions when it learns “the details.” Ukrainian Foreign Minister Dmytro Kuleba reported last Tuesday that the head of Chinese diplomacy, Wang Yi, had briefed him on the main details of the Chinese peace plan during the high-level Security Conference held last weekend in Munich (Germany).
Sánchez also shared with Zelensky his support for his country’s efforts to join the European Union and assured him that Ukraine will continue to be a central issue on the agenda of the Spanish Presidency of the Council of the EU, which will be held during the second half of the year. The two leaders also spoke about the reconstruction of the country, “about housing, schools, the first steps of renovation, jobs and everything that Russia has ruined”, according to Sanchez. For his part, the Ukrainian president thanked Spain for its support and for the treatment being given to his fellow Ukrainian refugees.
After the bilateral meeting, the leaders walked together on the so-called Walk of the Brave. Since last August, Kyiv’s Constitution Square has hosted this Walk, where plaques commemorating the foreign leaders who have visited the country since the beginning of the war have been unveiled. Precisely, Sanchez was able to contemplate the plaque commemorating his previous visit to Kyiv, which took place on April 21, 2022, just two months after the outbreak of the war.
In the afternoon, Sanchez addressed the plenary of the Verkhovna Rada (Parliament), where he paid tribute to the dignity of the Ukrainian people, a people who, unlike the enemy, “fight for what is right, and know what they fight for.” “Ukraine fights for its survival while your enemy fights for power. Their struggle is not worthy. Yours is a hymn to freedom,” he added. He also recalled that Ukraine has received from Spain “the largest humanitarian package we have ever delivered to a single country”.
Unidas Podemos applauds the trip to Kyiv but rejects the sending of tanks
The sending of the tanks has generated new political discrepancies within the coalition government. In statements to the press, the leader of Unidas Podemos in Congress, Jaume Asens, yesterday applauded the trip of Sánchez to Kyiv, a “brave gesture” of solidarity of the Spanish people with the Ukrainian people, but reiterated the position of his formation against the sending of tanks to Ukraine and in favor of “more dialogue, negotiation and diplomacy and less wars and tanks”.
For their part, ERC, BNG, EH Bildu and CUP have asked Margarita Robles to appear before the full Congress to explain the sending of tanks to Ukraine without debate or parliamentary vote. The Board of Spokespersons agreed this past Tuesday that Pedro Sánchez must appear before the plenary of the Lower House to report on the commitments made by the Government in relation to the war in Ukraine, including the shipment of military equipment.
In addition, next week the Foreign Affairs Committee of the Congress will vote on a non-legislative proposal of the PP on the military aid to Ukraine in which it is requested, among other things, that the Minister of Defense and the Minister of Foreign Affairs, José Manuel Albares, report, on a quarterly basis, on the status and evolution of the military aid provided by Spain to Ukraine and on the political talks being held between the allies on the evolution of the conflict.
