<h6><strong>Eduardo González</strong></h6> <h4><strong>Spain is going to contribute one million euros, within the framework of NATO, to strengthen Ukraine's military capabilities, according to sources from the Ministry informed <em>The Diplomat.</em></strong></h4> The Minister of Foreign Affairs, José Manuel Albares, has been in Brussels since Tuesday to participate in the two-day ministerial meeting of the Atlantic Alliance, which includes the celebration, tonight, of a working dinner of the NATO-Ukraine Council, attended by the Ukrainian Minister of Foreign Affairs, Andrii Sybiha. The ministerial also includes the presence of the new High Representative for Foreign and Security Policy of the EU, Kaja Kallas, and marks the debut of Mark Rutte as Secretary General of the Alliance. The first day, held on Tuesday, began with a debate on the Southern Neighbourhood, “a point that was included in the Strategic Concept of Madrid, precisely at the proposal of Spain,” Albares told the press upon his arrival at NATO headquarters. “There are threats, and Spain is perfectly placed to recognise them, from the southern flank,” he added. To address this issue, the meeting will be attended by the King of Jordan, Abdullah II, who has travelled to Brussels to give his view on the situation in the Middle East. “The situation in Syria, which is very worrying, shows that the war continues to spread throughout the Middle East,” warned Albares. “The ceasefire in Lebanon is good news, but it still needs to be consolidated and, at the same time, we need a permanent ceasefire in Gaza as soon as possible,” he added. “The needs of the southern neighbourhood are important for Spain and, therefore, I will announce half a million euros to strengthen the capabilities of Jordan and another half a million euros to strengthen the capabilities of a strategic partner of the first order for Spain such as Mauritania,” he said. <h5><strong>Ukraine</strong></h5> Regarding Ukraine, the sole topic of the working dinner on Tuesday, Albares announced to journalists his intention to convey the message that, “today more than ever, it is essential to remain at Ukraine's side, to face all the challenges and needs that arise and to do so together.” “Ukraine is facing a critical situation from an energy point of view,” he said. “The destruction of civil infrastructure, especially energy infrastructure, which is a flagrant violation of International Law by Russia, occurs every day,” he continued. “Spain will continue to stand by Ukraine for as long as necessary, of course in the defence of its defenceless civilians and its democracy and its freedom, but we will also continue to offer generators, as we do on a regular basis, to try to alleviate this destruction and to ensure that there can be energy, electricity and heating for Ukraine throughout this harsh winter that they are already facing,” he added. Although he did not inform journalists of this, official sources from the Ministry have assured <em>The Diplomat</em> that Albares is going to announce a contribution from Spain of one million euros for Ukraine within the framework of a NATO programme to strengthen the military capabilities of this country. This amount, they specified, will not be used for the purchase of weapons, but for other needs related to the defence of the country. <h5><strong>Bilateral meetings</strong></h5> In the margins of the ministerial meeting, Albares held bilateral meetings with his counterparts from Turkey, Hakan Fidan, with whom he discussed the situation in Syria and the Middle East and Euro-Atlantic security in Ukraine; from Poland, Radosław Sikorski, with whom he discussed the situation in the Middle East and support for Ukraine; and from Estonia, Margus Tsahkna, with whom he reviewed support for Ukraine and Spain's commitment to the security of the Baltic countries.
