Spanish and Ukrainian defence ministers express their commitment to continue working together for a just and lasting peace

The defence ministers of Spain and Ukraine, Margarita Robles and Rustem Umerov, during their meeting in Madrid

The Minister for Defence, Margarita Robles, and her Ukrainian counterpart, Rustem Umerov, have held a bilateral meeting in which Spain has expressed its commitment to continue its firm support for Ukraine, with the aim of achieving a just and lasting peace in the country as soon as possible.

At the meeting held at the Ministry of Defence, Robles confirmed that Spain will continue to provide training to Ukrainian fighters as part of the European Union Military Assistance Mission in support of Ukraine (EUMAM Ukraine), in which it has already helped train more than 7,000 soldiers..

"Since the beginning of Putin's terrible and cruel invasion of Ukraine, Spain has been lending strong support to Ukraine. We will continue to support you in your peace process to achieve a just and lasting peace," the Spanish Minister for Defence told her counterpart.

The minister assured that Spain's cooperation will extend beyond a possible ceasefire, as it has done from the start of the Russian invasion, and from all points of view. Thus, humanitarian aid and material deliveries will continue, as well as treatment for wounded combatants for as long as necessary, while working on a scenario that envisages securing peace.

In this regard, Robles indicated that her counterpart had conveyed to her that the Ukrainian government was firmly committed to reaching a ceasefire, and hoped that Russia's decision would be positive after a recent meeting with a US delegation in Saudi Arabia.

For his part, the Ukrainian Defence Minister thanked Spain for its support from the start of the Russian invasion, describing the country as "a reliable partner in these dark moments for our country". "Spain is a huge support for us, and contributes to the security of Ukraine and the security of Europe," Umerov said.

During their visit to Spain, the Ukrainian delegation will also meet with representatives of the Spanish security and defence industries, which, according to Robles, can play a "crucial role" in achieving peace.

Non official translation