Spain starts its Presidency in EU Council with Pedro Sánchez visiting Kyiv

On 1 July, Prime Minister Pedro Sánchez kicked off the Spanish presidency of the EU Council with a visit to the Ukrainian capital.

The goal was to send “a strong message of support” to Ukraine from both the EU and Spain, he said at the joint press conference with the Ukrainian President, Volodymyr Zelenskyy, in Kyiv.

During his third visit to Kyiv since the beginning of the Russian invasion of Ukraine, Sánchez also announced that additional aid of €55 million will be sent from Spain, to help rebuild Ukraine.

The Prime Minister also said that Spain has welcomed over 175,000 Ukrainians displaced by the war. Additionally, more than 650 Ukrainians – most of them wounded in attacks from the Russian invasion – have received treatment in Spain in recent months.

“The European Union’s position has been very clear from the outset. All Member States condemn the Russian aggression, and the European Union has put all its assistance mechanisms in place. Ukraine will be at the centre of all our debates”, Sánchez said of the six-month presidency, lasting until 31 December.

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Press release