Zelenskyy visits Madrid for talks with world leaders

Summarised from 2 outlets · Updated 5 Nov, 11:12 · Archive

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy made a surprise visit to Madrid on Wednesday, with his arrival kept secret for security reasons until his plane landed. The visit coincides with the Ibero-American Summit, a two-day gathering of 22 Spanish and Portuguese-speaking nations.

Zelenskyy is scheduled to meet with several world leaders including UN Secretary-General António Guterres, European Council President António Costa, Spanish Prime Minister Pedro Sánchez and Spanish King Felipe VI. He confirmed his arrival on social media, stating that 'our top priority is strengthening Ukraine's air defences, protecting our people, and expanding defence cooperation and production'. He added that 'further support steps are being prepared' without providing details.

The visit is an opportunity for Kyiv to strengthen its contacts with Latin American countries, a region where support for Ukraine since Russia's 2022 invasion has generated divided positions. Zelenskyy plans to hold meetings with representatives of several Latin American delegations present in Madrid, as part of his effort to drum up fresh military support against Russia.

How it is being reported

• Zelensky in Spain for talks with world leaders as Kyiv seeks to strengthen air defencesUkrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky made a surprise visit to Madrid on Wednesday to drum up fresh military support against Russia during a summit of Latin American leaders in Spain. Madrid is hosting a two-day summit of the Ibero-American Community, a 22-nation group of Spanish and Portuguese-speaking countries where support for Ukraine since Russia's 2022 invasion has divided opinion. FRANCE 24's Kyiv correspondent, Emmanuelle Chaze reports.France 24 · 5 Nov, 10:32
• Zelenski makes surprise visit to Madrid for talks with Sánchez and Latin American leadersZelensky visits Madrid to meet Sánchez, Felipe VI and Latin American leaders at the Ibero-American Summit, aiming to boost support for Ukraine and closer ties with Latin America.Euronews · 4 Nov, 21:33

In this story: Volodymyr Zelenskyy · Pedro Sánchez · Felipe VI · António Guterres · António Costa · Madrid · Ukraine · Russia

This summary was written by AI from the headlines and standfirsts above, and states as fact only what at least two outlets report. How we use AI · Report a problem · Corrections log