Ukraine requests artillery, anti-aircraft defense and naval aid and thanks Robles for mediation for the shipment of Leopard

The Ukrainian Defense Minister visits Madrid and will meet with the Spanish military industry in search of collaboration agreements

The Ukrainian Defense Minister, Oleksii Reznikov, has informed his Spanish counterpart, Margarita Robles, on Wednesday that his priority to continue facing the Russian offensive is to receive artillery, air defense systems and also naval aid from the allied countries. his Marine Corps.

Reznikov visited Madrid this Wednesday for the first time since the start of the war in February of last year and was received with honors at the Ministry of Defense by Minister Robles, with whom he later visited the Ukrainian wounded who are being treated in Gomez Ulla Hospital in Madrid.

The minister thanked the Spanish military aid but has also marked what their needs are now, among which he has indicated for the first time the naval field, pointing out the possibility that the Ukrainian military receive training in Spain "in the field of amphibians and landings" and also to the shipment of technical means.

Reznikov has explained that one of his objectives is to establish safe maritime traffic thanks to the "vacation" of the territories located between the Black Sea and the Azov Sea; and also the demining of marine waters.

To do this, accompanied by his head of the Navy on the visit to Spain, he highlighted the experience of the Spanish Navy -- "one of the best in the world" -- and explained that Ukraine needs materials such as ships, drones, personal weapons or missiles.

In addition, he has revealed that Spain sent missiles against the Harpoon ship to Ukraine, whose capacity he has stressed is essential to deter Russia. In fact, she has recalled the sinking of the cruiser 'Moskva' by the Ukrainian army and has even joked offering to guide diving excursions to visit her remains at the bottom of the Black Sea.

The Ukrainian minister has also insisted on the need for Ukraine to have a good air defense system, where he has included the request for "new generation or F-16" combat aircraft and has been convinced that there will end up being a 'coalition of fighters' to facilitate their shipment, just as it has happened with the tanks.

Robles, however, has insisted that Spain cannot provide the material it does not have, in reference to the F-16 fighters. "Spain has what it has and it will give according to its possibilities, what it does not have it cannot give", insisted the minister at the joint press conference.

LEOPARD IN UKRAINE IN APRIL

What has confirmed that it will leave Spain "in the next few days" are the six 'Leopard' 2A4 that have already been repaired at the Santa Bárbara factory in Alcalá de Guadaíra and that will travel to Ukraine by sea, where it is expected that Please arrive before the end of April.

In this sense, Reznikov has thanked Robles for his role in clearing up the authorization from Germany so that countries could send the 'Leopard' to Ukraine. As she explained, the minister offered the possibility of training Ukrainians in driving in Latvia, where Spain has these vehicles deployed on a NATO mission. This, she has assured, was key to finally convincing Germany to give the go-ahead to the shipment.

"The German colleagues understood that we were not going to stop here and they made the decision to create the coalition of tanks and approve the preparation programs for our military", the minister thanked.

During his visit to Spain, Reznikov will also meet with some representatives of the Spanish arms industries, to whom he will offer cooperation formulas both for the purchase of material and the possibility of creating joint ventures between Spain and Ukraine.

The Ukrainian minister and Robles have defined themselves as "great friends" and the minister has assured that Spain will continue to support Ukraine by sending weapons "for as long as necessary", in addition to humanitarian aid. "From the beginning Spain has been sending all kinds of material, humanitarian and military, for Ukraine's legitimate defense exercise. We will continue to do so for as long as necessary in full coordination with our partners and allies," she guaranteed. .