Spain pledges 1 billion euros of navy help to Ukraine in 2024 | Information

President Volodymyr Zelenskyy says Ukraine wants at the least seven extra Patriot launchers to defend itself towards Russian air assaults.

Spain has pledged 1 billion euros ($1.1bn) in navy help to Ukraine as Prime Minister Pedro Sanchez and Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy have signed a safety deal in Madrid.

The deal “features a dedication for 1 billion euros in navy help for 2024”, Sanchez mentioned at a joint information convention on Monday.

The pact, which covers the following decade, requires the provision of recent navy tools for floor, aerial, naval and different makes use of, “prioritising Ukraine’s key capability wants”, and an emphasis on defending sea routes for Ukraine’s meals exports, however it gave no specifics.

“It can enable Ukraine to spice up its capabilities together with its important air defence methods to guard its civilians, cities and infrastructure, that are nonetheless struggling indiscriminate assaults as seen this weekend in Kharkiv,” Sanchez mentioned, referring to a Russian strike on the northeastern metropolis that killed at the least 16 individuals at a {hardware} hypermarket on Saturday.

Zelenskyy visited the Spanish capital as Ukraine battles a Russian floor offensive within the Kharkiv area that started on Might 10 in Moscow’s greatest territorial advances in 18 months.

With Russia’s full-scale invasion now in its third yr, Ukraine has been pleading for extra weapons for its outgunned and outnumbered troops, notably looking for assist to handle its lack of air defence methods.

Sanchez mentioned Spain had already pledged to produce Patriot missiles however what Zelenskyy wanted from Ukraine’s allies was “the methods to launch these missiles”.

In a submit on the social media platform X, Zelenskyy thanked Spain for “its tangible and actually life-saving help to Ukraine on this time of struggle” and mentioned he additionally mentioned how Madrid might play a task in strengthening Kyiv’s air defences.

Spain will ship “one other batch of Leopard tanks and above all ammunition”, Sanchez mentioned, pledging to maintain working with Kyiv “to grasp how else – and with what different different methods – we will help guarantee Ukraine’s air safety”.

Immediately in Madrid, Prime Minister @sanchezcastejon and I signed a bilateral settlement on safety cooperation.

Spain will present Ukraine with €1 billion in navy help this yr and extra €5 billion for the interval 2024-2027 by means of the Ukraine Help Fund beneath… pic.twitter.com/zETHgcb44o

— Volodymyr Zelenskyy / Володимир Зеленський (@ZelenskyyUa) May 27, 2024

Zelenskyy has signed bilateral safety agreements with a number of different nations, together with France, Germany and the UK.

He mentioned Ukraine wanted at the least seven extra Patriot missile launchers to defend itself and would strain its allies to acquire them.

The president mentioned Russian forces have used about 3,200 guided aerial bombs this month.

“How do you combat that? There aren’t sufficient air defence missiles to cease hundreds of bombs a month. … These companions who’re afraid to provide us this or that weapon ought to perceive that air defence is defence, not offence,” he added.

Zelenskyy will subsequent go to the Portuguese capital, Lisbon, the place he’s scheduled to fulfill Prime Minister Luis Montenegro and President Marcelo Rebelo de Sousa on Tuesday and is anticipated to signal an analogous 10-year settlement.