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UKRAINE

Spain to send two more air defence systems to Ukraine

Spain is to send Ukraine two more HAWK surface-to-air missile launchers on top of the four it has already dispatched to counter the Russian invasion, the Spanish government said Thursday.

Spain to send two more air defence systems to Ukraine
A Hawk ground-to-air missile being launched. (Photo by SAM YEH / AFP)

“Two extra launchers will be sent” following a request from NATO, Defence Minister Margarita Robles said.

Madrid at the start of the month said it was sending anti-missile and air defence systems, including four HAWK missile launchers and an Aspide surface-to-air missile system.

“We are firmly committed to Ukraine because we understand that it is exercising its legitimate right to self-defence,” Robles said.

Her ministry said that 64 members of the Ukrainian military would be trained in the central Spanish city of Toledo from next week on deactivating explosives, mine clearance and sharpshooting.

Twenty-one other Ukrainian soldiers are being trained to handle 105/14 howitzers in the southern city of Almeria, it added, and another 19 have learnt how to use the Aspide air defence system.

The ministry says Spain is to train around 400 Ukrainian soldiers every two months.

Russia invaded neighbouring Ukraine in February and Western countries have since rushed military aid to support Kyiv’s forces.

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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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