Zelenskyy lands in Madrid for surprise visit ahead of Sánchez talks and Ibero-American Summit

Surprise arrival in Madrid

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy landed at the Torrejón de Ardoz air base near Madrid on Wednesday, 4 November 2026, on a visit that was not announced in advance for security reasons, La Razón reported. He came as a guest of the XXX Ibero-American Summit, which brings together 19 Latin American countries with Spain, Portugal and Andorra and is being held in the Spanish capital on Wednesday and Thursday. Presidents of seven Latin American countries are attending, namely Argentina, Bolivia, Chile, Costa Rica, Honduras, Guatemala and the Dominican Republic, while UN Secretary-General António Guterres and European Council President António Costa are also invited. La Razón said Zelenskyy's first stop would be the Teatro Real for the summit's opening ceremony, presided over by King Felipe VI. Deutsche Welle reported that a meeting with the king was expected but had not been officially confirmed.

Meeting with Sánchez and air defence

Zelenskyy's visit centres on a bilateral meeting with Pedro Sánchez at the Moncloa Palace, intended to reaffirm Spain's support for Ukraine. Spanish government sources put that meeting on Thursday, 5 November, while La Razón reported it for the late afternoon of the day of arrival, so the two accounts differ on the day. In a post on X after landing, Zelenskyy set out his priorities.

“The first priority is strengthening air defence for Ukraine, protecting our people, developing defence cooperation and production.”

He also thanked Spain for its help and said new steps in support were being prepared. El Confidencial reported that Western representatives have pressed Spain and Greece to hand over part of their Patriot PAC-2 interceptors to Kyiv, some of which are nearing the end of their service life. Zelenskyy also said his agenda included contacts with US representatives, as Washington pushes a new round of negotiations between Kyiv and Moscow.

Strike on an underground school

Zelenskyy described a strike on an underground school in Komishuvaja, near the Zaporizhzhia front, which was hit on Monday, 2 November. According to him, Russian forces dropped nine aerial bombs on the building. The school had been dug underground so it could keep working during the war, and it handed out food and medicine to residents who stayed in the village while also serving as an air-raid shelter. Zelenskyy said rescue teams had recovered 40 bodies so far, while more than 30 people could still be under the rubble, meaning the death toll could rise. He voiced frustration at what he called a very scarce reaction from the international community.

Talks in Abu Dhabi and Berlin

At a press conference, Zelenskyy said trilateral talks between Ukraine, Russia and the United States are scheduled for 10 and 11 November in Abu Dhabi. He listed three priorities for those talks: a mutual halt to attacks on energy and critical infrastructure, unblocking grain transport through the Black Sea, and a prisoner exchange. Earlier, on Tuesday, 3 November, he met German Chancellor Friedrich Merz in Berlin.