The Diplomat
The President of the Government, Pedro Sánchez, will make his third trip to Kyiv tomorrow to show the support of Spain and the entire EU for Ukraine, coinciding with the first day of the Spanish Presidency of the EU Council.
Sánchez’s trip was announced by the President of Ukraine himself, Volodímir Zelenski, during his speech via videoconference to the European Council, which since yesterday brings together all EU leaders to address, among other issues, the latest developments in Russia’s war of aggression against Ukraine and the EU’s support for Ukraine, in particular financial and military support.
“I consider it symbolic that this Saturday, on the first day of the Spanish Presidency, the Prime Minister of Spain, Pedro Sánchez, will visit Ukraine at my invitation,” Zekenski told the European leaders. “For the first time, the beginning of a Presidency will be marked by a visit to Ukraine” and this “really says a lot about how important the next six months will be for our Europe,” he continued.
“This is a historic moment to start negotiations on Ukraine’s accession to the EU,” because “a Europe of values, a free and strong Europe, a Europe of the world is unthinkable without Ukraine,” he assured. “Ukraine is ready to start accession negotiations and it is necessary to record our progress in implementing the recommendations of the European Commission,” he added.
Moncloa sources confirmed Sánchez’s trip to Ukraine to “make visible the unwavering support” to Ukraine “in all fields: military, humanitarian and economic”. “Russia’s war of aggression against Ukraine and its consequences will be a priority during the Spanish semester” and, for this reason, Spain will advocate reinforcing “the commitment to the stabilization, recovery and reconstruction of Ukraine”, added the sources, quoted by Servimedia agency.
This is Pedro Sánchez’s third trip to Ukraine, although on this occasion he will do so in his capacity as head of the Executive of the country that holds the rotating Presidency of the EU. According to government sources, the details of the trip have been finalized in recent weeks.
Albares
Precisely, the Minister of Foreign Affairs, José Manuel Albares, assured yesterday before the ambassadors of the countries of the European Union that one of the priorities of the Spanish Presidency of the EU will be “to advance in the process of accession of the candidate countries and to accompany new candidates, such as Ukraine, for an early opening of negotiations”. “War has returned to Europe, a war that puts principles and values at stake” and, therefore, “by supporting Ukraine we are supporting pluralism and diversity against another model, that of authoritarianism and exclusion”, he added.
During the meeting, held at the headquarters of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs in Marqués de Salamanca (Madrid) and which was also attended by members of civil society and representatives of other government departments that have participated in the preparation of the European semester, Albares said that the EU Member States are waiting for “a Spain that, together with the other 26 members, tackles with determination and ambition the great challenges of our time, that promotes economic and social progress and that protects European values as the center and heart of our integration project”.
As for the main objectives of the Presidency, Albares listed the same priorities that Pedro Sánchez presented on June 15 during a press conference in the Barceló Hall of the La Moncloa presidential complex: the reindustrialization of the European Union, “advancing in the ecological and environmental transition”, the defense of “greater social and economic justice” and maintaining the unity of the EU “in the defense of an international order based on rules that prioritize peace, stability and development”.
