The address of the Head of the Government of the Kingdom of Spain Pedro Sanchez Perez-Castejon to the Verkhovna Rada of Ukraine
Dear members of the Verkhovna Rada, your Excellencies, dear friends!
It is a great honor for me to be here in Kyiv. And thank you very much for inviting me to address this esteemed parliament. You are fighting for the truth, and this is the difference between you and the enemy, because you understand what you are fighting for. Ukraine is fighting for survival, and your opponent is fighting for power. There is no dignity in their battle. In your battle there is a call for freedom. That is why they cannot win, but they can hurt.
Spain and the European Union and many allies and friends around the world stand with Ukraine, and we will continue to do so as long as it takes. Because you are fighting for your land, for your independence, your people are fighting to regain their homes, their freedom. And at the same time, you are all fighting for something that concerns all of us – our rights as citizens.
russia’s illegal and unjustified aggression challenges our unshakable principles, our simple rules: don't attack a neighboring country that is not attacking or threatening you, political differences do not justify the use of force. These simple rules allow us to live in this world, and russian aggression jeopardizes the international law within which we all coexist.
That is why your struggle, your defense is our defense. Spain has been helping Ukraine since the beginning of the invasion, we have provided all kinds of assistance, weapons and financial aid. We have provided the largest humanitarian aid package we have ever provided to a country. And we are well aware that more is needed, more assistance, including military assistance.
And that is why today I informed President Zelenskyi that we will be increasing the amount of military assistance. In particular, in addition to other supplies, we will soon provide fully operational Leopard tanks to support your defense. And in the future, if necessary, we will be able to send more tanks. As part of the EU military assistance mission, Spain is already training hundreds of Ukrainian soldiers. Just last week, we started training 55 Ukrainian servicemen who are mastering Leopards.
We are planning to increase the supply of ammunition through joint European measures, which we are now calling for, because unity and close cooperation are proving to be very effective. After all, all these new military supplies and resources will be combined with those of other allies to significantly increase the ability of the Ukrainian Armed Forces to defend and retake your territories.
Your Excellency, of course, we are helping militarily, but we are not abandoning those who are affected. There is a distance of three thousand six hundred kilometers between our capitals, we are on the other side of Europe. Despite this distance, more than 165,000 of your citizens have traveled this distance and arrived in Spain. We are providing them with proper access to the healthcare system, education and other services, it is our moral obligation. But it is also a memory of past events. 80 years ago, hundreds of thousands of Spaniards took refuge in other European countries to escape the war, some of them came to Ukraine. And now we are giving shelter to your people, we are paying tribute to that lesson of humanism.
Your Excellency, the realities of what is happening in Ukraine are obvious to us. Unfortunately, not every country sees the realities as they are. That is why it is very important to speak and communicate with the rest of the world so that they can hear the truth. Because a large number of countries are suffering from the global economic consequences of the war, and sometimes they are inclined to partially listen to putin’s “anti-Western” propaganda. We cannot allow this to happen, we must fight for the truth to prevail, and we are doing so. We call for, we fight against, these russian narratives in international meetings. We are also addressing the global economic consequences of this war. A few weeks ago, Spain launched a special program to combat the problems in the global food crisis. This program aims to help countries in Africa and the Middle East that are affected by the global food crisis. So, we welcome Ukraine’s efforts to help countries in need with grain.
As you know, Spain will hold the presidency of the Council of Europe for the second part of this year. We cannot forget that the Maidan and Ukraine’s determination to join the European Union were at the heart of this current situation. And the aspiration to join the European Union, it implies adherence to the principles of democracy, freedom of speech, freedom of movement and the exercise of sovereignty and so on.
Perhaps this was too much for putin, he could not accept it, and that is why he decided to react in the form of this invasion, explaining it only with his propaganda. Today, we condemn this aggression once again, we welcome your right to the European dream, just as we dreamed of it decades ago.
That is why we strongly supported the granting of candidate status to Ukraine in June, and now Ukraine is taking the next steps in this process. Of course, many changes and reforms are needed, and the work of this convocation of the Verkhovna Rada will be extremely important. You have already passed several laws, and we certainly welcome your efforts, we welcome all the progress that has been made. And we will accompany Ukraine on its path to full integration, so that your dream becomes a reality. During our Chairmanship, you can count on Ukraine to be high on the agenda.
Your Excellencies, a few months ago we had the honor of listening to the President of Ukraine address the Spanish Parliament. He then reminded us of the story of Picasso, his painting Guernica. This is a wonderful picture that Picasso painted during the Spanish Civil War, and it has become a universal message against the cruelty of war. And during his lifetime, Picasso said that Guernica would only return to a free and democratic Spain. It took time and suffering, but in the end we were able to secure freedom, democracy and European membership. Now you are going through the most difficult times but remember that these most difficult dark times always end in the dawn. But you are not alone, we are with you.
Your Excellency, yesterday, before I arrived in Kyiv, I had the opportunity to meet with several Ukrainian refugee women who have taken refuge for their families in Spain. I saw the strength and determination in their eyes, I saw the pride and determination in their spirits, I saw the hope and confidence in their smiles. And by their example, I would like to recognize the courage of all Ukrainian women. And when I was with them, I realized that these women are true followers of Lesia Ukrainka.
We very much hope that peace will return to Ukraine, that it will happen very soon, and in the meantime, we will take care of your citizens, we will do our best, using all our available resources. And I am speaking not only on behalf of the Government, I am speaking on behalf of the entire Spanish society. I am confident that I will be able to return very soon to a peaceful and prosperous Ukraine that will speak of progress and reconstruction. In the meantime, the whole of Europe is watching your country closely, and your courage inspires us. Your cause is our cause, we stand together.
And in conclusion, I would like to recall the famous Ukrainian poet Taras Shevchenko, who described Ukraine as a great new family, a family of the free.
So peace to Ukraine! Glory to Ukraine! Thank you very much!