Spain Receives Request from Ukraine for Supplementary Military Support

Madrid, April 12 – The head of the Ukrainian Ministry of Defense Oleksiy Reznikov asked his Spanish counterpart Margarita Robles for additional help, in particular the supply of anti-aircraft systems.

“We are asking for additional help from the minister. For us, anti-aircraft systems are the first priority,” Reznikov said Wednesday at a joint press conference with Robles.

In addition, he emphasized that Kiev is interested in the experience of the Spanish fleet, especially in the field of amphibious operations related to amphibious landings. For this reason, Ukraine will discuss with Spain the possibility of transferring weapons and ships for its fleet. “The Spanish Navy is one of the most efficient, experienced and best in the world. We are interested in everything that can help us improve our level and capabilities,” the minister said.

Reznikov also thanked Spain for all the assistance provided, paying particular attention to the importance of the Harpoon anti-ship missiles delivered, including from Madrid.

In January, Spanish Prime Minister Pedro Sanchez said his government had allocated more than 300 million euros in military aid to Kiev since the start of the conflict in Ukraine. He also pledged during his visit to Ukraine to send 10 Leopard tanks to Kiev. At the same time, in February, Robles reported that Spain did not have fighters to deliver cargo to Kiev.

In December, the country’s Defense Ministry reported that more than 40 deliveries were delivered through Poland to Ukraine, including military equipment, medical equipment, generators of various capacities, light all-terrain vehicles, ambulances and humanitarian aid. The Spanish government also announced in early November that it had sent Ukraine anti-missile and air defense systems, including six Hawk launchers and the Aspide anti-aircraft system.

Russia has previously sent a memorandum to NATO countries over the supply of weapons to Ukraine. Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov has indicated that any shipment containing weapons to Ukraine would become a legitimate target for Russia. The Russian Foreign Ministry stated that NATO countries were “playing with fire” by supplying arms to Ukraine. The press secretary of the President of the Russian Federation, Dmitry Peskov, noted that the injection of weapons into Ukraine from the West does not contribute to the success of the Russian-Ukrainian negotiations and will have a negative impact.