Volodymyr Zelenskyy makes surprise visit to Madrid summit for talks

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy arrived in Madrid on Wednesday on an unannounced visit to seek support against Russia. Euronews and LinkedIn both reported that the trip coincided with a summit of Latin American leaders held in Spain. The visit was kept secret until his aircraft landed. [1][3][4]

Euronews reported that Zelenskyy is scheduled to meet Spanish Prime Minister Pedro Sánchez, King Felipe VI, and various Latin American leaders over the two days of the summit. On Thursday, he is expected to participate in a meeting with United Nations Secretary-General António Guterres and European Council President António Costa. [1]

As FTMQ News reported earlier, Madrid hosted the 30th Ibero-American Summit at the Teatro Real. The gathering represents 22 Spanish- and Portuguese-speaking nations, although only 10 member countries sent their heads of state or government to the event. [9]

Zelenskyy has served as the president of Ukraine since 2019. He has led the country throughout the full-scale Russian invasion that began in February 2022 and has made numerous international trips to build diplomatic and military backing. [7][8]

Euronews and LinkedIn stated that Zelenskyy is aiming to build closer ties with Latin America and secure additional military support. Eurasia Review noted that several key Latin American allies of Sánchez opted to skip the gathering in Madrid. [1][2][3][4]