Obed Eshun 
Spanish Prime Minister Pedro Sanchez gives a press conference following a meeting with his Slovenian counterpart at the Brdo Castle, on February 17, 2023. (Photo by Jure Makovec / AFP) (Photo by JURE MAKOVEC/AFP via Getty Images)
Spanish Prime Minister Pedro Sánchez will meet with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky and make a speech to the Ukrainian parliament on Thursday, his office said.
The Spanish leader is making a surprise visit to Kyiv in a show of support for Ukraine on the eve of the first anniversary of Russia’s full-scale invasion. He will later hold a joint news conference with Zelensky, according to his schedule.
Sánchez also plans to visit visit Bucha and Irpin, two towns near Kyiv that have become synonymous with alleged Russian war crimes. In addition, he will lay a wreath at a war memorial, his office said.
Support for Ukraine: Sánchez’s trip follows a highly secretive visit by Joe Biden to the Ukrainian capital on Monday, in which the US President announced a half-billion dollars in new assistance for Kyiv.
Spain is among a number of NATO allies that have agreed to send modern tanks to Ukraine and has trained 800 Ukrainian troops in the Iberian country since the start of war, Madrid’s defense minister said Wednesday.