<h6><strong>The Diplomat</strong></h6> <h4><strong>Defense Minister Margarita Robles participated this Tuesday via videoconference in the ministerial meeting of the Ukraine Defense Contact Group, where she reported that Spain has already trained more than 8,000 Ukrainian military personnel.</strong></h4> "Spain will stand by Ukraine as long as necessary and beyond," the minister stated during the "Ukraine Defense Contact Group" meeting in the "Ramstein Format," convened by the Defense Ministers of the United Kingdom, John Healey, and of Germany, Boris Pistorius, and also attended by NATO Secretary General Mark Rutte and US Secretary of War Pete Hegseth. During her speech, the minister emphasized that, given the persistence of Russian aggression and the uncertainty surrounding peace, the unity and determination of the allies are "more necessary than ever" and reiterated that Spain's support for Ukraine is firm and will continue as long as needed. Robles also announced various measures to strengthen Ukraine's defense capacity, as well as in the areas of training and humanitarian aid. According to the minister, the Spanish effort in training the Ukrainian Armed Forces within the framework of the European Union Military Assistance Mission (EUMAM) already exceeds 8,000 trained personnel. Spanish collaboration in the EUMAM mission, approved in October 2022 by the Council of the European Union and currently operating in Cartagena, Burgos, and Toledo, has resulted to date in the organization of 185 modules and more than 30 training specialties, and in the training of more than 8,000 military personnel, as Robles explained last Friday during a visit to the Toledo Infantry Academy. On the humanitarian front, Robles reminded the Contact Group of the Ministry of Defense's commitment to initiatives supporting Ukrainian families, including temporary hosting programs and solidarity actions promoted by the Armed Forces. "Spain will continue to contribute in a coordinated manner with its international partners and coalitions to strengthen Ukrainian capabilities and move toward a just and lasting peace, backed by credible security guarantees," the Ministry concluded.
