Madrid (EFE).- The Defense Minister, Margarita Robles, has affirmed this Friday emphatically that Spain “is not going to send any type of combat aircraft” to Ukraine, as Poland or Slovakia are going to do, a decision the of these countries that it has said it respects.
The President of the Government, Pedro Sánchez, offered Zelenski “air assistance” during his visit to Kiev in February, although he later assured that due to Spain’s talks with the allies, the sending of combat aircraft to Ukraine was not ” on the table”.
Following in the footsteps of Poland, the Government of Slovakia has given the green light this Friday to send MiG-29 combat aircraft, making it the second NATO member country to take this measure.
“Spain will always be very respectful of the decisions made by allied countries to help Ukraine because it is firmly committed to helping this country”, but “the position is very clear: no type of combat aircraft is going to be sent” , Robles assured in statements to journalists after delivering the Women in the Armed Forces award.
The minister also specified that the combat planes that certain countries have, including Spain, “require different training and preparation” than the fighters of other states in the former Soviet orbit and stressed that our country does not have the devices that Ukraine “specifically” demands.
On the other hand, Robles has explained that he is already finishing the repair of the first six Leopar 2A4 that at the end of this month or beginning of April will leave in the direction of Ukraine and at that moment the repair of the other four cars that Spain will also send will begin. .
Likewise, he has reiterated that Spain is going to donate a total of 20 TOA armored vehicles for transport, in addition to another twenty that are already in Ukraine.
He also recalled that the training of 55 Ukrainian soldiers ready and willing to crew and maintain the Leopards has already been completed.
“Spain’s commitment to Ukraine is total, but with respect to all countries, because we are all trying to help, Spain is not going to participate by sending combat planes,” he insisted.