Spanish PM pledges €615 million military aid to Ukraine, several regions on alert for snowfall, and more news from Spain this Wednesday November 19th.
Spanish PM pledges €615 million military aid to Ukraine
Spain will provide Ukraine with a fresh military aid package worth €615 million to support its fight against Russia’s invasion, Spanish Prime Minister Pedro Sánchez announced Tuesday.
Speaking at a Madrid press conference alongside visiting Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky, Sánchez said around €300 million of the package would be allocated to “new defence equipment”.
“Your fight is ours,” Sánchez said, adding that Russian President Vladimir Putin’s “neo-imperialism” seeks to “weaken the European project and everything it stands for”.
The package also designates €215 million to fund the production of anti-drone systems, surveillance radars, and aerial reconnaissance equipment, much of which will be developed by Spanish companies.
Additionally, €100 million will be transferred to a NATO-led initiative supplying Ukraine with air defence systems.
Several Spanish regions on alert for extreme cold, snow and strong winds
From today, Wednesday November 20th a cold front will arrive in Spain causing temperatures to plummet, as well as an area of low pressure coming in from the east. This could lead to rain, wind, and even snowfall, in several areas, according to Meteored’s weather models.
Rain is forecast along Cantabrian coast, with the heaviest rainfall expected between Cantabria, the Basque Country, and northern Navarre. Rain will also reach the Pyrenees in both Aragón and Catalonia. This is expected to intensify on Thursday.
Snow is also expected above 700 to 800 metres in Asturias, Cantabria, the Basque Country, Navarre, La Rioja, Castilla y León, Madrid, and Guadalajara. By the end of Thursday, weather experts have forecast the snow level to fall to 500 meters in the Cantabrian region.
Between Thursday and Saturday, gusts exceeding 80 km/h are expected in Girona (Catalonia), the Pyrenees, and the Balearic Islands, and over 100 km/h in high mountain areas. The coasts of Girona and northern Menorca could also experience waves of up to four metres.
Yellow and orange weather warnings are in effect for Thursday due to snow accumulation. Orange warnings are in place for inland Asturias and Cantabria, for snow of up to 20 centimetres. In northern León, Palencia, most of Burgos and La Rioja, a yellow warning is place for snow of between 2 and 10 centimetres above 800 metres.
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Unbeaten Spain qualify for 2026 World Cup with Turkey draw
Spain booked their ticket to the 2026 World Cup with a 2-2 draw against Turkey in their final qualifier on Tuesday to top Group E.
Turkey finished second and will compete in the play-offs after they became the first team to force Luis de la Fuente’s Euro 2024 champions to drop points.
Spain scored 21 goals in qualifying while conceding just twice and have not tasted defeat in a national record 31 consecutive games.
“There’s a lot of work to do and time to think about a lot of things, but we will prepare well,” said De la Fuente, who was upset by Barça star Yamal undergoing treatment on a groin injury which ruled him out of the final qualifiers.
“I hope I can count on all the players to be able to take the best players that we have in Spain to compete in and try to win this beautiful competition,” he added.
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Spain’s Air Europa to buy ‘up to 40’ Airbus long-haul planes
Spanish airline Air Europa on Tuesday said it had signed a memorandum of understanding with Airbus for “up to 40” A350-900 planes to modernise the long-haul fleet for its key Latin American market.
The announcement at the Dubai Airshow is the European manufacturer’s latest win, with low-cost airline flydubai also announcing an order for 150 Airbus A321neo jets on Tuesday.
“The A350-900 is a game-changer for key destinations in Latin America,” Air Europa’s president Juan José Hidalgo said in a company statement which did not specify the cost of the order.
“It provides an exceptional cabin experience and the operational performance and economics needed to expand the airline’s network without compromise, delivering the highest standards in air travel,” said Hidalgo.
The Airbus A350 is “the world’s most modern widebody aircraft” and can fly up to 18,000 kilometres without stopping, “setting new standards for intercontinental travel”, Air Europa said.
With additional reporting from AFP.
