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UKRAINE

Spain sends 200 tonnes of military material to Ukraine

Spain has shipped 200 tonnes of military equipment, including heavy transport vehicles and ammunition, to Ukraine, Prime Minister Pedro Sánchez said Thursday during a visit to Kyiv.

Spain sends 200 tonnes of military material to Ukraine
Spain has already sent other weaponry shipments to Ukrainian forces since February. (Photo by Sergei SUPINSKY / AFP)

“This is the largest shipment made until now, more than doubling what we have sent so far,” he told a joint news conference with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky and Danish Prime Minister Mette Frederiksen.

A Spanish navy ship loaded with the material departed a port in Spain on Thursday bound for Poland, from where the cargo will be transported to Ukraine, Sánchez said.

“The ship carries 30 trucks, several special heavy transport vehicles, and 10 small vehicles loaded with the military material that will be transferred to Ukraine,” he added.

Sánchez and his Danish counterpart arrived in Kyiv earlier on Thursday for talks with Zelensky, the latest in a series of visits by European leaders to show their support for Ukraine.

“Shocked to witness the horror and atrocities of Putin’s war on the streets of Borodyanka,” Sánchez tweeted earlier on Thursday after visiting the war-ravaged town outside of Kyiv with Frederiksen.

Madrid has sent about a dozen planes to Ukraine carrying “hundreds of tonnes” of weapons and humanitarian supplies, Defence Minister Margarita Robles said on Monday.

In another sign of support for Kyiv, Sánchez announced on Monday that Spain would reopen its embassy in the Ukrainian capital “in a few days’ time”.

The embassy suspended activity the day after the Russian invasion on February 24 for security reasons.

Spain has also taken in 134,000 Ukrainians, of whom 64,000 have received temporary protection, including accommodation and a work permit.

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UKRAINE

‘Very high’: Spain’s govt split over €1 billion in Ukraine military aid

A split in Spain's coalition government over Madrid's pledge to provide €1 billion in military aid to Ukraine broke out on Tuesday after a far-left cabinet minister described the amount as "very high".

'Very high': Spain's govt split over €1 billion in Ukraine military aid

Socialist Prime Minister Pedro Sánchez signed a security deal with Ukraine’s President Volodymyr Zelensky on Monday in Madrid which includes a commitment to provide military support to Kyiv worth €1 billion this year.

The Spanish prime minister said this would allow “Ukraine to boost its capabilities including its essential air defence systems to protect its civilians, cities and infrastructure”.

But Labour Minister Yolanda Díaz – the leader of far-left party Sumar, the junior partners in Sanchez’s coalition government – criticised the amount.

“These are very high sums,” she told Spanish public television TVE, accusing Sánchez’s Socialist party of a “lack of transparency”.

“We learned yesterday from the press that this billion euros was intended for arms for Ukraine,” added Díaz, one of three deputy prime ministers.

“Defence policy is very important for the country, and the people have a right to a public debate.”

The aid package was approved by Spain’s parliament but without specifying who the recipient would be, according to Spanish press reports.

Sánchez’s Socialists and Sumar have clashed frequently over foreign policy since they formed their coalition government in 2020, with the far left party highly critical of arms shipments to Ukraine.

According to the Kiel Institute — which tracks weapons pledged and delivered to Ukraine since the Russian invasion — Spain has so far committed €330 million in military aid, making it a small contributor on a European level.

By comparison, Berlin, Paris and Rome have committed €18.61 billion, €5.65 billion and €1.0 billion respectively, while London’s contribution stands at 9.22 billion, the figures show.

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