Spain reopens embassy in Kyiv

Spain on Friday reopened its embassy in Kyiv, the government said, the latest European country to return its diplomats to the Ukrainian capital after Russia invaded the pro-Western country.

Spain’s diplomatic delegation was evacuated from Kyiv to Poland the day after Russia invaded on February 24.

But on Friday afternoon, a delegation led by Spain’s ambassador to Ukraine, Silvia Cortes, reopened the embassy with “the support of special police forces,” the interior ministry said in a statement.

Spanish Prime Minister Pedro Sanchez said earlier this week the embassy would open “in the coming days.”

The reopening follows Sanchez’s visit to Kyiv Thursday where he met with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy.

Sanchez announced that Madrid would send 200 tons of military equipment to Ukraine, double what it has sent so far.

Sanchez also said that Spain would make dozens of experts from its justice ministry available to the International Criminal Court to help investigate “alleged war crimes committed in Ukraine.”

A number of Western countries, including France, Britain and Italy, have either reopened their embassies in Kyiv or announced an imminent return.