In the middle of the Iran war, there's the risk of losing sight of the other war. Pedro Sanchez wants to make sure that does not happen. On Wednesday, the Spanish Prime Minister welcomed Volodymyr Zelensky to Madrid and said the words Ukraine wanted to hear:
"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," says Pedro Sanchez, Spanish Prime Minister. "We will keep our support for the Ukrainian people with the same intensity."
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The visit produced more than words. Spain and Ukraine signed co-production agreements covering drones, radar and missiles. Zelensky also met with Sener Aerospace and Defence, a Spanish engineering group, to formalise cooperation on missile and air defence manufacturing, and to explore a potential joint project on long-range drones. The Ukrainian partners in those agreements are Fire Point, Luch and Radionix.
"We discussed production capabilities and bolstering Ukraine's air defence," says Volodymyr Zelensky, Ukrainian President. "Strengthening air defence and protecting lives are our top priorities."
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Russia's full-scale invasion of Ukraine is now in its fifth year. The US-Israeli war on Iran is in its third week. Both are unresolved, and European governments are being asked to hold their attention and their budgets across both at once.
On that front, Zelensky used the Madrid visit to press his case for the 90 billion euro loan that European leaders are set to discuss in Brussels on Thursday. Hungary has blocked the agreement, but Zelensky said he believes most of Europe understands the obstruction is unjustified. "There is no alternative to the 90 billion," he said. Zelensky also met with King Felipe VI of Spain:
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