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UKRAINE

Spain evacuates diplomats and Spanish nationals from Ukraine

Spain said Friday it had evacuated about 100 of its nationals from Ukraine, including its ambassador to the country and remaining diplomatic staff due to Russia's military invasion.

Spain evacuates diplomats and Spanish nationals from Ukraine
Russian forces were approaching Kyiv from the north and northeast. Photo: Sergei SUPINSKY/ AFP

“The last remaining staff members of the Spanish embassy are leaving” Kyiv including the ambassador, Spanish Foreign Minister Jose Manuel Albares told private television Antena 3.

They were evacuated along with “a convoy of around 100 Spanish nationals, who had to leave Kyiv due to the deterioration of security conditions”, he added.

With this operation there are only about 100 Spanish nationals left in Ukraine. They have said they do not wish to leave the country, according to Spain’s foreign ministry.

Russian forces were approaching Kyiv from the north and northeast, Ukraine’s army said Friday, with rising fears the capital could fall on the
second day of Moscow’s offensive.

Russia’s invasion of Ukraine “will not be without consequences”, Albares said as he reiterated Spain’s support for Kyiv.

He added it was “clear” that Russian President Vladimir Putin wants to alter Europe’s “respect for the integrity of borders” but “we are going to do everything in our power to defend this order”.

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UKRAINE

Spain against deploying EU troops to Ukraine

Spain on Tuesday said it was against any deployment of European troops in Ukraine after France's Emmanuel Macron refused to rule out sending Western soldiers.

Spain against deploying EU troops to Ukraine

“As to whether we are in favour of deploying European troops to Ukraine, we’ve already made our position clear and we do not agree,” said government spokeswoman Pilar Alegría.

“We must concentrate on the most urgent thing, which is to speed up the delivery of (military) equipment” to Kyiv, she said, saying “unity” was Europe’s “most effective weapon” against Russia’s Vladimir Putin.

Macron triggered a shockwave late on Monday by refusing to rule out the dispatch of Western ground troops to Ukraine in its fight against the Russian invasion.

“There is no consensus today to send ground troops… but nothing should be excluded. We will do whatever it takes to ensure that Russia cannot win this war,” he said.

He refused to say more about France’s position, citing the need for “strategic ambiguity” but saying the issue was mentioned among the options”.

Slovak Prime Minister Robert Fico was quoted as saying some EU and NATO members were weighing the option.

“Many people who say ‘never, ever’ today were the same people who said ‘never tanks, never planes, never long-range missiles’ two years ago” when Russia invaded, said Macron. “Let us have the humility to note that we have often been six to twelve months late.”

Earlier, German Chancellor Olaf Scholz also rejected the idea of European or NATO countries sending troops to Ukraine.

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