Spain provides Ukraine with humanitarian aid

The Spanish Foreign Ministry confirmed that Foreign Minister José Manuel Albares declared additional financial assistance for Ukraine from Madrid, with a humanitarian aid package totaling 10 million euros.

José Manuel Albares made another visit to Ukraine to "assess the impact of Russian aggression on Ukrainian territory and reaffirm Spain's support for the country's authorities." During this visit, he announced an additional 10 million euros in humanitarian aid, Caliber.Az reports via Ukrainian media.

The Spanish foreign minister began his trip in Lviv, where he held a series of meetings, including one with his Ukrainian counterpart, Andrii Sybiha. The official visit also focused on diplomatic discussions, reconstruction efforts, and humanitarian initiatives.

The Spanish Foreign Ministry noted that special attention was given to cultural revival, highlighted by the opening of a new cultural centre. Albares, Sybiha, and UNESCO Director-General Audrey Azoulay formally inaugurated the centre, which was established with the support of the Spanish Development Cooperation Trust Fund and UNESCO. 

"This centre, funded by AECID, was established to create a space specifically dedicated to culture as a factor of peace and resilience in the wartime and post-war context in Ukraine, a country whose cultural productive structure has lost 90 per cent of its resources due to the war caused by Russia’s invasion," the Spanish Foreign Ministry said.

The ministry further emphasized that the new cultural centre is part of Spain's broader commitment to Ukraine's reconstruction, which is now reflected in an additional 10 million euros in humanitarian aid, bringing the total to 100 million euros provided by Spain since the start of the war. 

Additionally, the ministry pointed out that this new humanitarian assistance is part of a larger recovery aid package, which has now reached 400 million euros since Russia’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine. The ministry also highlighted that Spain's official solidarity with Ukraine extends beyond financial support, as shown during Minister Albares' visit to a hospital in Lviv, where he announced that Spain would send a team of medical trainers to assist healthcare workers there. The foreign ministers of Spain and Ukraine "discussed the current situation," with Albares reaffirming Spain's support for Ukraine in the face of Russian aggression. 

"This support is reflected in the fulfillment of bilateral commitments regarding military aid to Ukraine, which were agreed upon last year by Prime Minister Pedro Sánchez and his Ukrainian counterpart Volodymyr Zelenskyy, regarding the delivery of military equipment and the training of Ukrainian soldiers in Spain within the framework of the European CSDP mission, which has trained about 7,000 servicemen," the Spanish ministry noted.

Albares also reaffirmed Spain's support for Ukraine's EU accession process, which was initiated during Spain's presidency of the European Union. 

"The minister was also very firm when it came to continuing support for Ukraine's territorial integrity and sovereignty, emphasizing that no peace for Ukraine can be achieved without Ukraine, and no European security without Europe," the ministry stated.

By Naila Huseynova