Zelenskyy makes surprise Madrid trip, seeks air defence ahead of Abu Dhabi talks
Ukraine's president arrived unannounced at the Ibero-American Summit in Madrid, where he is meeting Pedro Sánchez, King Felipe VI and Latin American leaders, with air defence and arms production at the top of his agenda a week before US-mediated talks with Russia.
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy arrived in Madrid on Wednesday, 4 November, for the 30th Ibero-American Summit. His visit was kept secret for security reasons until his plane landed, Euronews reported.
The agenda
- Zelenskyy wrote that his “top priority” is strengthening Ukraine’s air defences, protecting people and expanding defence cooperation and production, and that further support steps with Spain are being prepared.
- On Thursday he is due to hold bilateral talks with Prime Minister Pedro Sánchez at the Moncloa Palace and to meet King Felipe VI, as well as join a meeting with leaders including UN Secretary-General António Guterres and European Council President António Costa.
- He also plans meetings with several of the 22 Ibero-American delegations — a region where views on Russia’s war remain divided.
Background
According to the Kyiv Post, this is Zelenskyy’s fifth visit to Spain since Russia’s full-scale invasion in February 2022. During his previous trip in March, Madrid announced €1 billion in military aid, bringing Spain’s total support to €4 billion.
Ahead of Abu Dhabi
The trip comes days before trilateral talks between Ukraine, Russia and the United States in Abu Dhabi on 10–11 November, the first such round since February. Zelenskyy has said Kyiv will seek US security guarantees modelled on NATO’s Article 5 and backed by a vote in Congress. Meanwhile, Russian strikes on Ukraine’s power grid continue as the country heads into its fifth winter of full-scale war.
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