Ukraine and Spain: Strengthening Defense Cooperation

The Ukrainian Defense Minister Denys Shmyhal held a conversation with his Spanish counterpart Margarita Robles, as reported on October 21.
Shmyhal emphasized that Ukraine has a «critical need» for enhancing its air defense systems amid escalating Russian attacks, particularly through the provision of missiles for Patriot, NASAMS, and IRIS-T.
«We discussed the possibility of such assistance from Spain. Additionally, we talked about promising joint industrial projects, including the repair and manufacture of equipment on our territories. We also explored opportunities for Spain to join the PURL initiative,» he stated.
The minister expressed gratitude to Robles for her support for Ukraine and invited her to «visit Kyiv to discuss mutually beneficial partnerships between our defense sectors».
As of now, the Spanish Ministry of Defense has not commented on the meeting.
According to NATO Secretary General Mark Rutte, more than 2 billion euros were raised in the initial months following the launch of the PURL project. These funds are primarily used to procure weapons and ammunition that are not produced by European manufacturers, including air defense systems.
Rutte's latest data indicates that half of NATO member countries – 16 nations – have joined the initiative. However, France, the UK, Poland, Spain, and Italy are not among them.