Ukraine's Zelenskiy puts off visit to Spain and Portugal

Spanish government sources said Zelenskiy had cancelled his visit but did not give a reason. King Felipe of Spain had been due to hold a reception for Zelenskiy on May 17 and host a meal in his honour.

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskiy has postponed all upcoming foreign visits including a trip to Spain and Portugal this week, his press secretary said on Wednesday, amid Russia's offensive in the north of the Kharkiv region.

"Volodymyr Zelenskiy has instructed that all international events scheduled for the coming days be postponed and new dates coordinated," Sergii Nykyforov said in a post on Facebook. Spanish government sources said Zelenskiy had cancelled his visit but did not give a reason.

King Felipe of Spain had been due to hold a reception for Zelenskiy on May 17 and host a meal in his honour. Zelenskiy had also been expected to sign a bilateral security cooperation agreement with Prime Minister Pedro Sanchez following a joint declaration by NATO last year, and visit Portugal.

A spokesperson for the Portuguese government said the Ukrainian president had cancelled the visit but did not give a reason. Alongside other European Union countries, Spain committed to support Ukraine with financial and military aid after Russia's invasion in February 2022.

Zelenskiy's planned visit was due to coincide with an EU pledge of long-term security support for Kyiv, according to a draft document.

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