Spanish Foreign Minister José Manuel Albares announced additional financial support for Ukraine from Madrid. This will be in the form of humanitarian aid amounting to €10 million.
This was reported by the Spanish Ministry of Foreign Affairs.
The statement from the Spanish Ministry of Foreign Affairs notes that on January 28, 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 which he announced the provision of an additional €10 million in humanitarian aid.
The Spanish minister began his trip with a visit to Lviv, where he held a series of meetings, including with his Ukrainian counterpart, Andrii Sybiha.
The official visit program also included diplomatic talks, reconstruction support, and humanitarian initiatives.
The Spanish Ministry of Foreign Affairs added that particular attention was given to cultural revival, which was reflected in the opening of a new cultural center.
Thus, Albares, Sybiha, and UNESCO Director-General Audrey Azoulay formally opened the cultural center, created with the support of the Spanish Development Cooperation Trust Fund and UNESCO.
"This center, 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% of its resources due to the war caused by Russia’s invasion," the Spanish Ministry of Foreign Affairs explained.
The Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Spain further stated that the center "complements Spain's comprehensive commitment to the reconstruction of Ukraine, which today is reflected in a new announcement of €10 million in humanitarian aid from Spanish cooperation, bringing the total to €100 million that Spain has provided to Ukraine since the start of the war."
Additionally, the ministry noted that this new humanitarian assistance is supplemented by another recovery aid item, which has accumulated to €400 million since the beginning of Russia’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine.
The Spanish Ministry of Foreign Affairs also reported that Spain's official solidarity with Ukraine, beyond economic matters, was also "highlighted 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 at the hospital."
The Foreign Ministers of Spain and Ukraine "analyzed the current situation," and Albares "confirmed 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 Zelensky, 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 of Foreign Affairs explained.
Albares also confirmed support for Ukraine's EU accession process, which began during Spain's presidency of the EU.
"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 release from the Spanish Ministry of Foreign Affairs stated.
