Zelenskyy makes surprise Madrid visit for talks with Sánchez and Latin American leaders

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy arrived in Madrid on Wednesday, where the 30th Ibero-American Summit, a forum bringing together Spain, Portugal and Latin American countries, is taking place. The visit was kept secret for security reasons until his plane landed. It gives Kyiv a chance to build contacts in Latin America, where the war triggered by Russia's invasion still produces divided positions.

Meeting schedule

On Thursday Zelenskyy will join a meeting with several leaders who have travelled to the Spanish capital, including UN Secretary-General António Guterres and European Council President António Costa. Spanish Prime Minister Pedro Sánchez is also expected. The Ukrainian president will hold bilateral talks with Sánchez and with King Felipe VI. According to government sources, he plans to meet representatives of several of the 22 delegations present.

On social media, Zelenskyy said his top priority is strengthening Ukraine's air defences, protecting people and expanding defence cooperation and production. He added that further support steps are being prepared but gave no details.

Summit backdrop

Right-wing Latin American leaders are in Madrid, among them Argentina's president Javier Milei, Chile's José Antonio Kast and Bolivia's Rodrigo Paz. Two weeks ago Milei visited Madrid and called Sánchez a "disgraceful dictator". Mexico's Claudia Sheinbaum and Brazil's Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva are absent. Seven Latin American presidents are attending, while the 2024 summit in Ecuador drew a historically low number of heads of state and ended without a final declaration.

Spanish Foreign Minister José Manuel Albares rejected claims that the forum is in decline, saying all 22 countries have a representative in Madrid. Addressing business leaders, King Felipe VI argued for an open economy rather than protectionism and stressed the importance of stable environments and legal certainty.