Defense Minister Margarita Robles reiterated her support and solidarity with the Ukrainian people on Saturday, coinciding with the second anniversary of Russia’s invasion, and she emphasized that Putin represents a threat to the entire international community.
She expressed these sentiments in Toledo, where she presided over a memorial ceremony honoring civilians and military personnel who have fallen in the Ukraine conflict. The ceremony also included the Ukrainian ambassador to Spain, Serhii Pohoreltsev, and the Chief of the Defence Staff, Admiral Teodoro López Calderón. Speaking at the event, held at the Infantry Academy which has trained nearly four thousand Ukrainian soldiers, Robles affirmed that Spain stands more united than ever with Ukraine, describing the Ukrainian cause as a cause for freedom.
Robles asserted that the bond between the two nations “will never be erased,” and she expressed confidence that Ukraine will win the war. “In your fight for peace and liberty, democrats around the world stand with you,” she declared. At the conclusion of the tribute, she spoke with journalists and stressed that the struggle is about more than territorial integrity; it is also a fight for the values and principles of peace, freedom, and security.
Robles suggested that everyone who dies for peace helps all people live in a fairer world, and she highlighted Putin as a danger not only to Ukraine but to the global community, noting that “today it is Ukraine, and tomorrow any other country could be at risk” if unity falters.
During the ceremony, Robles also greeted a group of Ukrainian women soldiers, praising the courage it takes to leave family behind in order to defend their country—a source of pride and satisfaction for the minister.
In a related note, the Ukrainian ambassador to Spain reminded his compatriots of those who have fallen in defense of Ukraine’s territorial integrity and sovereignty. He credited President Zelensky and the military leadership with preventing Russian forces from entering the capital and emphasized that there have been notable victories, though much work remains to reclaim occupied territories. He praised Ukrainian armed forces as highly professional and stressed that peace will be achieved only with continued support from international partners.
The ceremony began with the playing of both national anthems, followed by Ukrainian soldiers laying a laurel wreath before a monument honoring the fallen. In a press briefing prior to the ceremony, Esther Padilla, the spokesperson for the Government of Castilla-La Mancha, voiced regional backing for the central government’s efforts to support a country facing an unjust invasion in which hundreds of thousands of people have died. She noted the pride of Castilla-La Mancha in hosting the Ukraine memorial in Toledo, where many Ukrainian soldiers have trained to help achieve peace in their homeland, and highlighted that Castilla-La Mancha is the only autonomous community maintaining a Commission of Aid to continue addressing incoming requests and needs.
Padilla also praised the solidarity shown by Spaniards across the country, and particularly within Castilla-La Mancha, with the Ukrainian people. She cited both individual acts and collective efforts through associations, which have contributed food, clothing, and other essentials to Ukraine since the early days of the conflict, in what she called a sustained commitment to supporting those suffering from this unjust invasion.