The president of Ukraine, Volodymyr Zelensky, received this Wednesday at the presidential palace in kyiv the Minister of Defense, Margarita Robles, with whom he held a meeting on military cooperation between both countries and addressing the war situation in the country. In a message in English and Spanish spread on social networks, the Ukrainian leader has assured that he has informed Robles “about the situation on the front” of the war with the Russian forces, which invaded Ukraine in February 2022.
At the meeting, both also addressed the expansion of the SAFE program, the acronym in English of the financial instrument Action for the Security of Europe, which the EU allocates to investment in industrial production in defense. “We are confident in the expansion of the SAFE program and in the appearance of new products of our joint production,” said the Ukrainian leader.
The president of Ukraine has also thanked the support for Ukraine’s anti-missile defense with Hawk and Patriot missiles, weapons that he described as “scarce”: “That is why Spain’s help is very important for our defense against massive Russian attacks.” Zelenski has extended his gratitude to Robles, also to Pedro Sánchez and “to all of Spain for their support during all these years.”
The meeting is held on the same day that the EU begins to unlock the 90 billion euros of loans for Ukraine, a measure until now vetoed by Hungary with its president, Viktor Orbán, at the head, but whose party lost the legislative elections on April 13. At the same meeting of EU ambassadors in Brussels, the twentieth package of sanctions against Russia was provisionally approved, stopped since February by both Hungary and Slovakia and which is also expected to be unblocked throughout this Wednesday.
After the meeting, Zelensky decorated the minister with the Princess Olga decoration – one of the most important distinctions awarded by Ukraine and which is granted exclusively to women – in its III degree “in recognition of the Spanish Government’s support for Ukraine since the beginning of the Russian invasion and its commitment to the defense of the sovereignty and territorial integrity of the country”, according to the Ministry of Defense published on its website. “A commitment that is beyond any doubt,” said the Minister of Defense, according to the same statement. “Despite the fact that the focus has now shifted to the Middle East. Spain is going to continue helping Ukraine because Spain is a supportive country that defends values, rights and a just cause.”
