ISTANBUL

Spain and Ukraine on Wednesday signed a series of bilateral documents during a visit by Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy to Madrid.

The documents, signed at a ceremony attended by Zelenskyy and Spanish Prime Minister Pedro Sanchez, aim to strengthen bilateral cooperation in defense, finance, rail transport, and diplomacy.

Citing presidential spokesman Serhii Nykyforov, Ukrainian media outlets, including state news agency Ukrinform, reported that Zelenskyy arrived in Spain earlier Wednesday.

According to Nykyforov, the program of Zelenskyy's visit included talks with Sanchez and Spain's King Felipe VI.

Separately, Zelenskyy said that he met with the leadership of Sener Aerospace & Defense, a division of the Spanish engineering and technology group Sener, and that three of the four cooperation documents signed by Ukrainian manufacturers involved the group.

"The agreements concern establishing cooperation in the missile sector and air defense. This is what will strengthen the protection of Ukraine’s skies," Zelenskyy said on US social media company X.

On Monday, Spanish news agency Efe reported that the Ukrainian president will travel to the country, where he will meet the country's king and premier, in what would be his fourth visit to Spain since the start of the Russia-Ukraine war in February 2022.

The visit comes a day after Zelenskyy visited the UK, where he met King Charles III, British Prime Minister Keir Starmer, and NATO Secretary General Mark Rutte.

It also comes a day before a European Council meeting in Brussels between Thursday and Friday, which Zelenskyy is also expected to address.