This Wednesday, March 18, an agreement was signed at La Moncloa between Pedro Sánchez and his Ukrainian counterpart, Volodymyr Zelensky, under which Spain committed to allocate another 1 billion euros in military aid to Kyiv this year. “You can count on Spain’s support,” Sánchez stated.
Zelensky, currently touring Europe, arrived in Spain for the fourth time with his attention focused on the decision Brussels will make tomorrow regarding aid to Ukraine, which is currently blocked by Hungary and Slovakia.
Since the beginning of the Russian invasion in February 2022, Spain has contributed just under 4 billion euros in different military aid packages — including the supply of weapons and defense materiel — a considerable figure, although lower than that provided by other European countries, as reflected in the Ukraine Support Tracker Data of the Kiel Institute.
Part of the aid will be channeled through Security Action for Europe (SAFE), the financial mechanism recently created by the European Union that will provide up to 150 billion euros in competitive, long-term loans to member states for defense investments. Zelensky highlighted that Spain is one of the first European countries to use SAFE to support Ukrainian military actions, while also insisting that the EU must release the frozen Russian assets so that Kyiv can “produce more equipment.”
As Sánchez explained during the joint press conference, this new commitment boosts industrial cooperation between Ukrainian and Spanish companies in the “co-production” of defense materiel. For his part, Zelensky noted on X that the agreements will facilitate the transfer of knowledge and capabilities regarding the use of combat drones, while Spain can supply the ammunition and radars needed for Ukraine’s defense.
Zelensky also acknowledged the need to find alternatives to the U.S.-made PATRIOT air defense system (Phased Array Tracking Radar to Intercept on Target) because of Ukraine’s high degree of dependence in this area.
Zelensky visited the headquarters of Sener Aerospace & Defence in Tres Cantos (Madrid) to preside over the signing of a cooperation agreement between the Spanish firm and the Ukrainian companies Fire Point, Luch, and Radionix, all leading players in the field of missiles and autonomous systems. The agreement will make it possible to strengthen cooperation in strategic sectors between the industries of both countries, according to Sener’s press release.
After the visit, Zelensky stated that he hoped “all agreements between Ukrainian and Spanish manufacturers will be implemented as soon as possible.” Likewise, Andrés Sendagorta, president of Sener, expressed gratitude to the Ukrainian president for “showing interest in our capabilities and recognizing Sener’s contribution to Ukraine’s air defense.”
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