Spain pledges 1 billion euros of military aid to Ukraine in 2024
Al Jazeera
President Volodymyr Zelenskyy says Ukraine needs at least seven more Patriot launchers to defend itself against Russian air attacks.
Spain has pledged 1 billion euros ($1.1bn) in military aid to Ukraine as Prime Minister Pedro Sanchez and Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy have signed a security deal in Madrid.
The deal “includes a commitment for 1 billion euros in military aid for 2024”, Sanchez said at a joint news conference on Monday.
The pact, which covers the next decade, calls for the supply of modern military equipment for ground, aerial, naval and other uses, “prioritising Ukraine’s key capacity needs”, and an emphasis on protecting sea routes for Ukraine’s food exports, but it gave no specifics.
“It will allow Ukraine to boost its capabilities including its essential air defence systems to protect its civilians, cities and infrastructure, which are still suffering indiscriminate attacks as seen this weekend in Kharkiv,” Sanchez said, referring to a Russian strike on the northeastern city that killed at least 16 people at a hardware hypermarket on Saturday.
Zelenskyy visited the Spanish capital as Ukraine battles a Russian ground offensive in the Kharkiv region that began on May 10 in Moscow’s biggest territorial advances in 18 months.
