Zelensky, after meeting with Illa and Collboni: "Thank you, Catalonia, for everything you have done"

BarcelonaThe President of the Generalitat, Salvador Illa, and the Mayor of Barcelona, Jaume Collboni, have met with the Ukrainian President, Volodymyr Zelenskyy, in Kyiv. Illa conveyed to him his "commitment" and "solidarity" on behalf of Catalonia, and "showed his support" in the war against the Russian invasion, Ukraine's potential future accession to the European Union, and the potential use of frozen Russian assets located within EU territory for the reconstruction of his country. "It has been a very fruitful meeting in which we were able to express not only the desire to cooperate, but also the desire to learn from a country that has shown a resilience that I believe must be highly valued," the Catalan leader remarked.

The Ukrainian President's expressions of gratitude did not take long to arrive either. Zelenskyy thanked the Generalitat and the Barcelona City Council via the social network X for their "assistance" during the war. "We appreciate when our partners, at their level, help address concrete challenges on the ground. Thank you for this visit and for your constant and unwavering support for Ukraine and Ukrainians. We are very grateful for everything that has been done since the very beginning of the Russian aggression," the Ukrainian leader tweeted.

Illa recalled the support that Catalonia has given to the Ukrainian people through the sending of humanitarian aid and the cooperation between the two countries in the health sector, as well as the collaboration agreements that the Government signed this very Thursday with the regions of Zaporizhzhia, Dnipropetrovsk, and Lviv, according to government sources.

The Catalan president also highlighted, in statements before the meeting with Zelensky, that Ukraine "defends all Europeans" in its war against the regime of Vladimir Putin. "[The future of Ukraine] Is the future of Europe and Catalonia," said the socialist leader, who also spoke with the Ukrainian president about the current situation of the war and gave him his "unconditional" support to achieve a resolution of the conflict that guarantees "a just and lasting peace."

Speech by Mayor Collboni

Illa, who has invited the Ukrainian president to visit Barcelona and Catalonia, attended the meeting accompanied by the mayor of Barcelona, Jaume Collboni, who was invited to give a speech before the Kyiv municipal plenary, where he was interrupted on several occasions by applause, according to municipal sources. The Minister of European Union and Foreign Action, Jaume Duch, also traveled, and the second-in-command of the Spanish embassy in Kyiv, Antonio Santamaría, attended the meeting. On the other hand, the president of the Generalitat gave Zelenskiy regards from the president of the Spanish government, Pedro Sánchez, and the former head of European diplomacy, Josep Borrell. According to government sources, the president of the Generalitat is the first leader of an autonomous community and the first European regional leader to travel to Ukraine in the middle of the war.

On the other hand, Illa also plans to meet with the Federation of Employers of Ukraine and with the European Union ambassador to the Ukrainian country, as well as with Ukrainian political and social activists, and he has met with the governors of the Zaporizhzhia, Dnipropetrovsk, and Lviv regions. In addition, the president of the Generalitat will hold an event with Sister Lucía Caram to recognize her work in helping the Ukrainian people.

In any case, the agenda planned for the socialist leader is subject to changes for security reasons, the Catalan delegation has been reduced to the bare minimum and, in addition to the president's bodyguards, security has been handled by the Spanish embassy in Ukraine. In fact, during the last few days, the Russian regime has increased attacks against the Ukrainian country, especially on civilian targets. This very Tuesday, at least 12 people died in a Russian attack on railway infrastructure.