Fiona Govan
PRIME Minister Pedro Sanchez has said Spain will send ‘offensive military hardware’ to Ukraine to help battle Russia’s invasion.
Sanchez made the announcement in Spain’s parliament on Wednesday, just two days after he ruled out such a move.
“I want to announce to you that Spain will also deliver offensive military hardware to the Ukrainian resistance,” Sanchez said.
He had previously agreed only to send military support as part of an EU agreed package which pledges €450 million to buy arms to send to Ukraine, a move that was opposed by Spain’s junior coalition partner Unidos Podemos who said it would ‘escalate war’.
Spain has also pledged another 150 troops to be sent to Latvia as part of the NATO force as well as the 350 troops Spain already has there. A further 320 Spanish troops are present in the three warships sent by Spain to the Black Sea in February.
A further 120 and 150 Spanish soldiers are currently based in Bulgaria along with four Eurofighter jets from the Spanish air force as part of the NATO force.
“Spain has always understood that this attack is on Europe, that is why we have always defended coordinated actions at a European level,” insisted Sanchez.
In addition to military aid, Spain initially sent 20 tonnes of medical and military defence materials, which was flown out of two planes from Torrejon de Ardoz military air base outside Madrid to Poland last week.
The aid will be transported by land over the border to Ukraine.
Spain has also said that it will help those injured in the conflict by offering 1,000 beds at Madrid’s Zendal hospital.
On Tuesday evening, Spain’s Congress building was lit up in the colours of the Ukrainian flag.
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