MADRID, March 18 – During a Wednesday meeting in Madrid, Spain’s Prime Minister Pedro Sanchez assured Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy that ongoing Middle East conflicts will not weaken Spain’s commitment to Ukraine’s defense against Russian aggression. The leaders formalized military cooperation agreements covering joint production of defense equipment including unmanned aircraft, radar systems, and missile technology.
“We cannot deny that the crisis in the Middle East is monopolising conversation and precisely for that reason, I want to say to the government of Ukraine that nothing and no one will make us forget what is happening in Ukraine,” Sanchez declared. “We will keep our support for the Ukrainian people with the same intensity.”
The meeting comes as Russia’s full-scale assault on Ukraine continues beyond four years, while the U.S.-Israeli conflict with Iran enters its third week with no resolution apparent.
Zelenskyy announced through his X social media account that beyond his discussions with Sanchez, he also conducted meetings with Spanish defense contractor Sener Aerospace & Defence to finalize manufacturing partnerships for air defense systems and missiles, plus potential collaboration on long-distance drone development.
“We discussed production capabilities and bolstering Ukraine’s air defence,” he stated. “Strengthening air defence and protecting lives are our top priorities. Ukraine has new developments and is ready to scale them up.”
Sener Aerospace & Defence issued a confirmation that their agreements involve Ukrainian defense manufacturers Fire Point, Luch and Radionix.
Looking ahead to Thursday’s European leadership summit in Brussels, Zelenskyy expressed optimism that continental leaders will approve a 90 billion euro financial package for Kyiv covering military assistance and general budget needs, despite Hungarian resistance to the proposal.
“I know most European countries understand this is not a fair blockage,” he commented. “There is no alternative to the 90 billion.”
