On Tuesday, Spanish broadcaster TVE, citing sources in the royal family, reported that Zelensky would visit Spain this Friday to sign a security agreement between Kiev and Madrid with the country's Prime Minister Pedro Sanchez.
Apart from his visit to Spain, the Ukrainian president also canceled his official trip to Portugal which was scheduled for the end of the week, Portuguese media reported on Wednesday, adding that Zelensky had already canceled the visit twice.
Zelensky was expected to sign a security agreement with Portugal, the SIC Noticias broadcaster reported.
Earlier this month, El Pais newspaper reported that the security agreement should have obliged Madrid to provide long-term military assistance to Kiev, to cooperate in the exercises of the two countries' armed forces, develop the Ukrainian defense industry, and to exchange information in the field of intelligence and cybersecurity.
Western countries have been providing massive military and financial aid to Kiev since the start of Russia's military operation in Ukraine in February 2022. The Kremlin has consistently warned against continued arms deliveries to Kiev, saying it would lead to further escalation of the conflict. In April 2022, Russia sent a diplomatic note to all NATO countries on the issue of arms supplies to Ukraine. Acting Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov warned that any cargo containing weapons for Ukraine would become a legitimate target for Russia.