UPDATES WITH QUOTES FROM SPANISH PRIME MINISTER, UKRAINIAN PRESIDENT; ADDS DETAILS; REVISES HEADLINE, DECK, LEDE, EDITS THROUGHOUT
By Alyssa McMurtry
OVIEDO, Spain (AA) - Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy on Monday visited Madrid, where he signed a military aid deal with the Spanish prime minister worth more than €1 billion ($1.1 billion).
Speaking at a joint press conference, Spanish Prime Minister Pedro Sanchez said the bilateral security deal was of "enormous transcendence" and is based on an integral vision of security, ranging from arms supplies to humanitarian aid and defense industry cooperation.
"This will reinforce Ukraine's capacities, including, of course, its air defense capacities, which are essential to defend the civilian population and infrastructure," Sanchez said.
The Spanish leader also applauded that there will be an "important peace summit" in mid-June to advance toward a "negotiated end to the conflict" in Ukraine.
Zelenskyy, in turn, thanked Spain for its help in such a "difficult time," adding that the Russian army is firing more than 3,000 missiles per month at Ukraine, a number that he predicts will increase.
In a rare gesture, Spain’s King Felipe VI received Zelenskyy at the airport. The last time the king received a president was in the summer of 2023 when he welcomed US President Joe Biden for a NATO Summit in Madrid, according to Spanish broadcaster La Sexta.
Zelenskyy was set to travel to Spain earlier this month but had to cancel the trip after Russia’s Kharkiv offensive forced him to clear his foreign agenda.
After his trip to Spain, the Ukrainian leader is due to visit Portugal on Tuesday.