Eduardo González
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky thanked Spanish Prime Minister Pedro Sánchez for Spain’s “continued support” in defense matters, particularly the shipment of missiles for the IRIS-T air defense systems and its participation in the PURL initiative and the SAFE instrument.
Sánchez held a bilateral meeting with Zelensky on Thursday, December 18, on the sidelines of the last European Council meeting of the year, held in Brussels. According to the Ukrainian president’s social media posts, they discussed “coordinating positions and steps with Europe” regarding the negotiation process being conducted by US President Donald Trump’s team “to achieve a dignified peace.”
“It is important that Europe is involved at every stage, because peace must guarantee Ukraine’s sovereignty and European security,” Zelensky warned. “We also discussed our path toward accession to the European Union, which is another important element of security guarantees,” he continued.
“I thank Pedro Sánchez for his continued support on defense, specifically the decision to provide missiles for IRIS-T, as well as his participation in the PURL initiative and the SAFE instrument,” Zelensky stated. “We value Spain’s support for all European Union sanctions packages against Russia,” he continued. “We hope that the 20th sanctions package will include tough measures against the Russian banking sector, its shadow fleet, dual-use technologies, Russian oligarchs, and propagandists,” he concluded.
For his part, Sánchez reported on social media that he had conveyed to Zelensky “Spain’s commitment to Ukraine’s sovereignty and its future within the EU.” “It is essential to ensure solid and sustainable European financial support,” he added.
Last November, during Zelensky’s official visit to Spain, Sánchez announced a new Spanish military aid package of €615 million, of which €100 million will go to the Prioritized Ukraine Requirements List (PURL), a NATO mechanism to assist Ukraine through joint arms procurement from the United States.
The remainder of the military aid package includes a €215 million transfer through the EU’s Action for the Security of Europe (SAFE) financial instrument to strengthen the European defense industrial base through long-term loans for joint procurements among member states. The objective of this third segment of the aid is to produce anti-drone systems and air search and surveillance radars.
At the same joint press conference, Zelensky announced that the new Spanish military aid package will include, in particular, 40 missiles for the IRIS-T air defense systems. “I am grateful for this new defense aid package, which includes missiles for air defense,” because “it is a great need for us during the winter and this specific package, 40 missiles for the IRIS-T air defense systems, is just what we need,” he declared.