In brief: President Volodymyr Zelensky arrived in Madrid on Wednesday, Nov. 4, with air defense and weapons production remaining central to his agenda. According to Spanish media, Zelensky was personally invited to the Ibero-American summit by Spanish Prime Minister Pedro Sánchez, while the meeting was kept secret for security reasons. The visit marks Zelensky’s fifth visit to Spain since the beginning of Russia’s full-scale war and it comes a week before trilateral talks with Russia and the US in Abu Dhabi, scheduled for Nov. 10-11.
President Volodymyr Zelensky arrived in Madrid on Wednesday, Nov. 4, with air defense and weapons production remaining central to his agenda, as Ukraine approaches its fifth winter of war.
Zelensky landed at the Torrejón de Ardoz air base near Madrid as a guest of the 30th Ibero-American summit, a two-day gathering of 22 Spanish and Portuguese-speaking countries, according to Aragón Digital.
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Spanish Prime Minister Pedro Sánchez personally invited Zelensky, while his attendance was not announced in advance for security reasons, sources at La Moncloa, the Spanish prime minister’s office, told the Servimedia news agency.
“We need protection from Russian strikes and the restoration of peace,” Zelensky said in a statement on X, noting that further support steps are being prepared with Spain.
Meeting with King Felipe VI
According to the same La Moncloa sources, Zelensky’s first stop was the Teatro Real for the summit’s opening ceremony, which was presided over by King Felipe VI.
The president was escorted through central Madrid under heavy security, with streets closed along his route.
The road closure will remain in place until Thursday, Nov. 5, when Zelensky is set to hold a bilateral meeting with Sánchez at the Moncloa Palace.
During the summit, Zelensky will also meet King Felipe VI and several Latin American leaders.
Building on March agreements
The visit marks Zelensky’s fifth trip to Spain since Russia’s full-scale invasion began in February 2022.
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During his previous visit in March, Madrid announced €1 billion ($1.2 billion) in military aid for Ukraine, bringing Spain’s total support to €4 billion ($4.6 billion).
“Spain will always support Ukraine,” Sánchez said at the time, adding that Spain had also begun financing the Security Action for Europe (SAFE) program – the EU’s €150 billion (roughly $170 billion) loan instrument, which gives member states long-term, low-interest loans to jointly buy weapons and defense equipment, including drones, missiles and ammunition.
According to La Moncloa, the two governments also signed an agreement to speed up Spanish-funded reconstruction projects in Ukraine by setting common rules on taxation, customs and financial oversight.
During the same visit, Ukraine’s state railway operator Ukrzaliznytsia signed a contract with Spanish company TRIA, backed by a €5.5 million ($6.3 million) grant, for a pilot project on automatic gauge-changing technology for freight trains.
The project aimed to link Ukraine’s Soviet-era rail network with Spanish and European tracks.
Visit ahead of peace negotiations
The visit comes a week before Ukraine is scheduled to hold trilateral talks with Russia and the US in Abu Dhabi, with fresh hopes of brokering an end to the war.
The Nov. 10-11 meeting will mark the first such talks since February, with post-war security arrangements expected to dominate the agenda. According to Zelensky, Ukraine will seek US security commitments modeled on NATO’s Article 5, which requires allies to assist a member under attack.
In an interview on Oct. 22, he insisted that any American guarantees must be backed by a vote in the US Congress rather than relying on political assurances that could change with a new administration.
Zelensky initially proposed holding talks sooner but agreed to wait until voting in the US had concluded.
Meanwhile, the European Commission is currently hosting talks on Ukraine in Brussels, throughout Nov. 4-5.
“Security, recovery and development must be parts of a single plan for Ukraine after the war,” Rustem Umerov, head of the Foreign Intelligence Service of Ukraine, said on Tuesday, Nov. 3.
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