The eve of the anniversary of the Russian invasion in Ukraine has been marked by the presence of Pedro Sánchez (for the second time) in the country. In a vitally important week in the conflict over Putin’s speech on the indicated date and Biden’s visit to Zelenski, the Prime Minister has verified his commitment to Ukraine and has made important announcements, like shipping 10 Leopard tanksfour more than those announced so far by Defense.

During his visit, Sánchez reiterated Spain’s support to Zelenski “to Ukraine’s legitimate aspirations for full membership of the EU“. A goal that the Ukrainian government established from the beginning of the conflict and that it now hopes can be met during the next Spanish presidency of the European Council.

Spain will assume the rotating presidency of the European Council in the second half of 2023. Moment in which Zelenski waits for his country to formally begin the process of negotiations for his entry into the European Union.

“It is very important that President Sánchez has discussed this in depth with President Zelenski today, and my president has every hope that Sánchez shares Ukraine’s ambitions” to achieve this goal, the deputy head of the Office told EFE. of the President of Ukraine Igor Zhovkva.

The Ukrainian government even set a date: the deputy head of the Office of the President of Ukraine has expressed hope that the decision on the start of these negotiations can be taken at the European Council whichand would be held in December 2023.

Beginning these access negotiations, the presidential adviser has indicated, is a “dream, an ambition and a completely realistic goal” for Ukraine if in October, added the deputy head of Zeleneski’s Office, Ukraine gets a positive assessment on compliance with the seven recommendations of the European Commission.

“It would be historic and also a milestone for Spain if, during its presidency of the EU, Ukraine begin accession negotiations“, Zhovkva has asserted. An objective that the Ukrainian government marks after opening its way to enter the community club last June, obtaining the status of candidate.

On the other hand, the head of the Spanish Government has assured that “Spain is prepared to support and accompany Ukraine in the process of achieving their legitimate aspirations to become a member”. Sánchez has insisted that the unity of the community bloc is “firm” in its support.

announce more tanks

Sánchez has exceeded Robles’ ‘bet’. During his visit to Ukraine, the head of the Spanish Government announced the delivery of 10 Leopard tanks, four more than those advanced by the Defense Minister last Tuesday. Precisely this Thursday, the Defense Minister, Margarita Robles, has detailed that Spain already has the six Leopard 2 A4 tanks under repair, which it will send to Ukraine between the end of March and the beginning of April, and will repair another four “depending on how circumstances evolve.”

This has been stated by the Minister of Defense in an interview with Onda Cero, in which she has also closed the door for Spain to send air aid to Ukraine by arguing that “Spain does not have those F16 planes to be able to provide support.”

“We are going to send six Leopard 2 A4, our intention is during the next weeks and months see if we can scale to a total of 10; that is to say, go from six to 10″, explained the President of the Government in an appearance with Zelenski.

“What we are doing here is defending a people that is being attacked, from an aggressor, and therefore there can be no equidistances,” added Sánchez, who has shown himself to be more cautious in the face of the Ukrainian president’s request for air military aid. “It is something that we will have to discuss with our allies. both at the NATO level and at the European level”, he has sentenced.

After ensuring the shipment of more than a hundred European tanks ‘Leopard 2’, ‘Abrams’ from the US and the British ‘Challenger 2’; The Ukrainian government has been putting pressure on its Western allies for days with F16 fighters. Their main focus now is the supply of these fighter jets. With them, Kyiv considers that they could eliminate the air threat of the Russian army and decant the war in their favor in a definitive way.

In fact, it is not the first time that Zelenski He claims them publicly. The Ukrainian president already asked NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg at the end of January to deliver this type of defense tools, along with more long-range missiles.

Spain reiterates its commitment

The appearance in the Ukrainian Parliament has been the ‘finish’ of the president’s visit to Ukraine. Early in the morning he has arrived in the countrywhere he has once again witnessed the horrors of the Russian invasion in two of the most emblematic places of the conflict.

In Bucha, the scene of one of the most sadistic massacres of the Russian army, Sánchez has visited the church of San Andrés, where he has been able to see photographs of the victims left behind by Vladimir Putin’s troops. Next, the president has moved to Irpín, also near Kyiv, another of the scenes of the destruction of the war, where he has been able to see the buildings and infrastructures damaged by the Russians and the mural by the artist Banksy painted on one of them.

Sánchez has even come to fear the sound of anti-aircraft sirens during his visit. A drone flying over the area has activated the sirens, although it has subsequently been shot down by Ukrainian defenses.

After carrying out a floral offering for the fallen in the war, Sánchez has held a bilateral meeting with Zelenski in which both leaders have talked alone for more than 40 minutes.

the presidential palace has become a dark bunker escorted by strong security measures for the two leaders to address the situation in the country one year after the conflict.

After that, both leaders have appeared to express their unity before the Kremlin forces and announce the delivery of tanks. “I have come to Kyiv to renew Spain’s commitment to full support for Ukraine”, Sánchez stated during the appearance with Zelenski, in which he thanked his Ukrainian counterpart for the invitation “on this very significant date”, just before the war was one year old.

Ovation in the Rada

After the appearance with Zelenski, Pedro Sánchez has captured the attention of the Rada. The President of the Government has appeared in the Ukrainian Parliament to convey his support and strength in the conflict: “You are living the darkest hour, but remember that the darkest hour always precedes the dawn“, Sánchez said in an applauded speech. “We are with you”, he stressed.

The President of the Government also recalled the meeting he had with Ukrainian refugees in Spain this week, an episode that he wanted to share with legislators. “If I had to use one word to describe what we see when we look at Ukraine, it would be dignity”, assured Sánchez, who remarked: “The dignity of a country that fights for its right to exist and to be free, to choose its own path and to achieve a just and deserved peace, the dignity of a people who fight for what is just”.

Interrupted by applause on several occasions, the President of the Government -in an intervention in English- has reiterated that “Ukraine fights for its survival”, while the enemy “fights for power”.

The Spanish president extolled before the Ukrainian parliamentarians that “Spain has been by your side since the beginning of the invasion” and for this reason it has “provided all kinds of support, from high-end weapons or financial aid to the largest humanitarian package we have ever delivered to a single country.” “We have done a lot, but we know that more is needed, especially in terms of regarding military needs”, Sánchez admitted, before recalling that “we will further increase our military contribution”, not only with the first shipment of six ‘Leopard’ battle tanks, but also “if necessary, we could send more of these tanks later”.