President Volodymyr Zelenskyy says Ukraine needs at least seven more Patriot launchers to defend against Russian airstrikes.
Spain has pledged 1 billion euros ($1.1 billion) in military aid to Ukraine as Prime Minister Pedro Sánchez and Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy signed a security agreement in Madrid.
The agreement “includes a commitment of one billion euros in military aid by 2024,” Sánchez said at a joint news conference on Monday.
The pact, which covers the next decade, calls for the supply of modern military equipment for land, air, naval and other uses, “prioritizing Ukraine's key capability needs,” and an emphasis on protecting sea lanes for Ukraine's food exports, but gave no details.
“It will allow Ukraine to increase its capabilities, including its essential air defense systems to protect its civilians, cities and infrastructure, which still suffer from indiscriminate attacks as seen this weekend in Kharkiv,” Sánchez said, referring to a Russian attack in the northeastern city. that killed at least 16 people in a hardware hypermarket on Saturday.
Zelenskyy visited the Spanish capital as Ukraine fights a Russian ground offensive in the Kharkiv region that began on May 10 in Moscow's biggest territorial gains in 18 months.
With Russia's full-scale invasion now in its third year, Ukraine has been asking for more weapons for its outgunned and outnumbered troops, in particular seeking help to address its lack of air defense systems.
Sanchez said Spain had already committed to supplying Patriot missiles, but what Zelenskyy needed from Ukraine's allies were “the systems to launch these missiles.”
In a post on social media platform Kiev.
Spain will send “another batch of Leopard tanks and above all ammunition,” Sánchez said, promising to continue working with kyiv “to understand how else – and with what other alternative systems – we can help guarantee Ukraine's air security.”
Today in Madrid, the President of the Government @sanchezcastejon and signed a bilateral agreement on security cooperation.
Spain will provide Ukraine with 1 billion euros in military assistance this year and an additional 5 billion euros for the period 2024-2027 through the Ukraine Assistance Fund under the framework… pic.twitter.com/zETHgcb44o
— Volodymyr Zelenskyy / Володимир Зеленський (@ZelenskyyUa) May 27, 2024
Zelenskyy has signed bilateral security agreements with several other countries, including France, Germany and the United Kingdom.
He said Ukraine needed at least seven more Patriot missile launchers to defend itself and would pressure its allies to obtain them.
The president said Russian forces have used about 3,200 guided aerial bombs this month.
“How do you fight that? There are not enough air defense missiles to stop thousands of bombs a month. …Those partners who are afraid to give us this or that weapon must understand that air defense is defense, not attack,” he added.
Zelenskyy will soon visit the Portuguese capital, Lisbon, where he is scheduled to meet with Prime Minister Luis Montenegro and President Marcelo Rebelo de Sousa on Tuesday and is expected to sign a similar 10-year agreement.
