Eduardo González
The President of the Government, Pedro Sánchez, and the President of Ukraine, Volodymyr Zelensky, signed yesterday in Madrid the Security Cooperation Agreement between Spain and Ukraine, based on which our country undertakes to send an aid package to Kyiv. military valued at 1,129 million euros.
The agreement was signed by Sánchez and Zelensky in the Moncloa Complex, within the framework of the visit of the Ukrainian president to Spain, who was previously received with honors by the King in Barajas and later moved to the Royal Palace to hold a meeting with Felipe VI.
He also participated in a lunch offered by Don Felipe and Doña Letizia in his honor, during which the Monarch stated, in his speech, that, “for more than two years the entire world has witnessed heroism, dedication, courage and resistance of the people of Ukraine, its Government, and its Armed Forces. He also, unfortunately, violates the most essential norms and principles of international law and the United Nations Charter, which undermines the foundations of international peace and security. Spain cannot but reiterate its condemnation, in the strongest terms, of the large-scale invasion suffered by its country.”
Zelensky, who visited the Congress of Deputies in the afternoon, took advantage of his meeting with Don Felipe to invite the King and the Queen to visit Ukraine “when they can,” according to the Presidency of that country. Furthermore, in a video on his X social network account, accompanied by a video of his visit to the Royal Palace, he expressed his desire for the Cervantes Institute to open an office in Ukraine.
“First of all, I want to thank the Spanish people, their country and the President of the Government for their tangible and vital help to Ukraine in this very difficult time,” Zelensky declared during the joint press conference with Sánchez, held at the La Moncloa Complex. “Spain is a reliable partner and has helped us from day one to defend ourselves against Russian criminal aggression,” he said.
The Spaniards, Zelensky continued, “have not been indifferent when Russian missiles began to destroy our cities and towns and kill our children.” “Spain has not been weak when it comes to making important and difficult decisions at the political level,” he added. “Our soldiers are defending themselves from a new invasion and that is why we need to strengthen agreements with partners,” continued the Ukrainian president, who reported that the Russian Army has used more than 3,000 missiles in one month alone.
“For Spain it has been, from the first moment, an obligation to help Ukraine,” declared Pedro Sánchez during the press conference. For this reason, at this time when “it is more necessary than ever to redouble our support,” Spain has become “the tenth country to sign an agreement of this style with Ukraine,” he added. “The most important thing of all is to help Ukraine as quickly as possible so that Ukraine guarantees security and defense,” Sánchez continued. “The message to (Russian President Vladimir) Putin is that we are going to be with Ukraine all the time. as necessary, until its territorial integrity is respected,” he added.
“Defense and security, peace and reconstruction. These are our priorities, which will guide our joint efforts,” said Pedro Sánchez. “Ukraine can count on Spain in its fight for peace and in the defense of all the values and principles that unite us,” he added.
The agreement, similar to that signed by Ukraine with other countries, such as the United Kingdom, Germany, France, Italy, Denmark or Canada, will ensure sustained military support (delivery of weapons and training of troops) in the long term. In the case of Spain, the agreement involves the supply of military equipment (Patriot missiles, Leopard battle tanks, or Spanish-made products, such as artillery projectiles, anti-drone systems and portable rocket launchers) valued at 1,129 million euros. The aid will be extended to 5,000 million euros in three years and a good part of the military material will be manufactured by Spanish companies, such as TRC, Indra, Escribano, Uro, Expal or Instalaza. In addition, the agreement also includes humanitarian aid, economic recovery and reconstruction and support for Ukrainian reforms on the path to accession to the EU and NATO.
The agreement comes after the Council of Ministers approved on April 16 an extraordinary credit of, precisely, 1,129 million euros for the “supply of various materials to strengthen military capabilities”, without further details. The Council’s reference was limited to specifying that “the current international situation is immersed in a context of high volatility, uncertainty and instability, which is why it is necessary to urgently reinforce military capabilities in order to increase the available strategic reserve.”
Sumar criticizes the “opacity” of the agreement
Pedro Sánchez’s announcement has not pleased his minority partner in the coalition government, Sumar. In statements to the media, Sumar’s spokesperson (and Minister of Culture), Ernest Urtasun, yesterday criticized the “opacity” of the PSOE in relation to this agreement and regretted that, during the Council of Ministers in which the aforementioned item of 1,129 million euros for defense was approved, it was not reported that its objective was the shipment of weapons to Ukraine. “On April 16, a very opaque agreement was approved where the destination was not established and we already expressed our disagreement to the PSOE,” declared the Sumar spokesperson.
“We tell the PSOE, in a very clear and solemn way, that something as relevant as the shipment of weapons to a conflict zone cannot be carried out without transparency and without there being a debate in the Congress,” he declared. For this reason, “we want to urge the PSOE to transfer this agreement to Congress so that the Cortes (Spanish Parliament) can assess, with all the information, what the scope of this agreement is and that the different parliamentary groups can establish their position once they are known. all the details,” concluded Urtasun, who did not specify what Sumar’s position would be, in such a case.
For his part, the leader of the PP, Alberto Núñez Feijóo, hinted yesterday during a radio interview that this agreement could generate a new gap in the Government of Pedro Sánchez. “I don’t know if the other part of the Government has been informed,” he stated.
