<h6><strong>The Diplomat</strong></h6> <h4><strong>Defense Minister Margarita Robles received her Ukrainian counterpart, Rustem Umerov, in Madrid this Friday. She assured him that Spain will continue to support his country "beyond a possible ceasefire."</strong></h4> At the meeting, held at the headquarters of the Ministry of Defense, Robles confirmed that Spain will continue to train Ukrainian combatants within the framework of the EU Military Assistance Operation in Ukraine (EUMAM UA), through which it has already participated in the training of more than 7,000 soldiers. "Since the beginning of Putin's terrible and cruel invasion of Ukraine, Spain has been providing steadfast support to Ukraine. We will continue to support you in your peace process to achieve a just and lasting peace," the Spanish Defense Minister stated to her counterpart. The minister assured that Spain's collaboration will extend "beyond a possible ceasefire." According to a press release from the Ministry of Defense, Spain will continue sending supplies and humanitarian aid and participating in the treatment of wounded combatants, "while working on a scenario that contemplates achieving peace." Specifically, both ministers signed an agreement to continue the training and instruction that Spain has been providing to the personnel of the Armed Forces of Ukraine. Separately, according to the Ukrainian Ministry of Defense, Robles and Umerov discussed priority areas of cooperation to strengthen Ukraine's defense, such as industrial cooperation, strengthening air defense, and the supply of ammunition and armored vehicles. According to Robles, her counterpart conveyed to her that the Ukrainian government is firmly committed to reaching a ceasefire and expects a positive response from Russia to the 30-day truce proposed by Ukraine and the United States during their recent meeting in Saudi Arabia. Umerov also defined Spain as "a reliable partner." "Spain is a tremendous supporter of ours and contributes to the security of Ukraine and the security of Europe," he assured Robles, according to the press release from the Ministry of Defense. "I am sincerely grateful to Spain for its steadfast support from the first days of the large-scale invasion, particularly for the military assistance and training of our defenders," said Rustem Umerov, quoted in this case by his country's Ministry of Defense. During their visit to Spain, the Ukrainian delegation also met with representatives of the Spanish security and defense industries, which provide equipment and materials to Ukraine as part of the bilateral military assistance package Spain has pledged and which, according to Robles, can play a "crucial role" in achieving peace.
