The Ukrainian president, Volodymyr Zelensky, is set to visit Madrid in the coming days to sign a bilateral security agreement between Spain and Ukraine with the Spanish Prime Minister, Pedro Sánchez. This will be Zelensky’s first bilateral visit to Spain, although he attended the European Political Community summit in Granada last October, during Spain’s presidency of the EU. The security agreement aims to provide long-term military support to Ukraine until it can become a full member of NATO and the EU. Negotiations for the agreement began in March and have now concluded, with the signing expected to take place soon.
The bilateral security agreement will provide stability and predictability to the military support Spain has been providing to Ukraine, including the supply of arms, training over 4,000 fighters at the Toledo Training Coordination Center, and treatment of wounded soldiers at the military hospital in Zaragoza. This pact commits Spain to long-term military assistance, armament supply, training collaboration, defense industry development support, and intelligence and cybersecurity information exchange with Ukraine. Spain, although not part of the G-7, responded to their call for support to Ukraine and is committed to maintaining economic sanctions against Russia and cooperating with the International Criminal Court in prosecuting war crimes.
The agreement is expected to quantify the amount of military aid Spain is willing to provide to Ukraine in the coming years, with specific budget allocations to be made annually. Spain has already supplied a small number of Patriot missiles to bolster Ukraine’s air defense against Russian attacks. Additional military aid packages, including artillery ammunition, armored vehicles, anti-tank weapons, and combat tanks, are being prepared by the Spanish Ministry of Defense. The aid is likely to be channeled through NATO, with plans to enhance the efficiency of future military assistance mechanisms at an upcoming NATO summit in Washington.
The signing of the agreement in Madrid represents Spain’s clear political commitment to Ukraine amid the ongoing conflict, showcasing solidarity with the Ukrainian government. In addition to military aid, Spain is also providing surveillance systems and remote weapon stations to help Ukraine defend against drone attacks. The agreement demonstrates Spain’s support for Ukraine’s efforts to defend its sovereignty and territorial integrity, as the conflict with Russia continues to escalate. The agreement also signifies Spain’s readiness to stand by its allies and uphold international law in the face of aggression.
