King Felipe VI made public reference this Sunday for the first time to the invasion of Ukraine by Russia during the opening dinner of the Mobile World Congress (MWC) in Barcelona.
The monarch has called the military offensive "unacceptable aggression against a sovereign and independent nation" "in a country that is on everyone's mind."
"We are sad and worried," he said.
Felipe VI has assured, about Ukraine and the Ukrainians: “They are deeply in our hearts.
Spain is committed to helping together with the EU and the international community that sees this war as a threat to Europe and the world order”.
“This concerns us all”, he stated, before “reaffirming our commitment to the sovereignty and territorial integrity of this country”.
The King has stressed that "together with all our partners" Spain works "tirelessly to support them and restore peace", while demanding "respect for international law by all States without exception" must be the starting point .
Felipe VI has closed the parliaments in the Oval Room of the National Museum of Art of Catalonia (MNAC), and has been preceded by the President of the Government Pedro Sánchez, who has contrasted "coexistence" that Mobile represents with "barbarism and war ” undertaken by Putin in Ukraine.
“We are responding with total force and humanitarian aid”, he has assured and has called to “open spaces for dialogue”.
"European countries have given a forceful response to measures against the Putin regime and its oligarchs with sanctions, in addition to humanitarian aid, sanctions that will last until it returns to the borders of the Russian Federation and that will have a massive impact."
I just spoke with the president of Ukraine, @ZelenskyyUa, to show him all the support and solidarity of Spain in the face of Putin's intolerable invasion.
Today we have sent two planes from the @EjercitoAire with 20 tons of aid, protective equipment and medical supplies.
– Pedro Sánchez (@sanchezcastejon) February 27, 2022
The Russian offensive has monopolized the conversations prior to dinner, where the King has commented for a few minutes on the situation with the President of the Generalitat, Pere Aragonès, in the previous aperitif.
As is traditional, Aragonès has not been part of the official initial greeting to the monarch, nor has the mayor of Barcelona, Ada Colau.
After speaking with Felipe VI, Aragonès has exchanged impressions with Sánchez, the mayor and the vice president Nadia Calviño.
In their speeches, both Aragonès and Colau have "strongly condemned" the Russian offensive.
“Their independence and their people must be protected”, Colau stated, before assuring that “Catalonia is with them and with the rest of the European partners”.
The mayor has offered, addressing the King and Sánchez, the city to welcome refugees fleeing Ukraine and has recognized the people who demonstrate in Russia against Putin's offensive.
The directors of the GSMA, the employers' association of the mobile telephony industry that organizes the congress, have also attended the event.
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Sánchez calls all the former presidents of Spain to share information about the war
Russia's offensive in Ukraine will fly over the first edition of the Mobile World Congress, which returned to normal after the pandemic, although with fewer visitors.
In 2020 the most important congress in the Barcelona trade fair calendar was cancelled, and in 2021 a symbolic edition was held in June.
The organization of the congress was relentless this Friday in announcing that the hall was canceling the Russian pavilion in a condemnation of the invasion of Ukraine.
The GSMA stated that it complied “with all government sanctions and policies” arising from the war.
Among those attending the inaugural dinner this Sunday were, in addition, the Minister of Industry, Commerce and Tourism, Reyes Maroto;
the Vice President of the Generalitat and Minister of Digital Policies and Territory, Jordi Puigneró;
the Minister for Business and Employment, Roger Torrent, and the Minister for Education, Josep Gonzàlez-Cambray.
Also in attendance were the Government delegate in Catalonia, Maria Eugènia Gay;
the president of the Barcelona Provincial Council and mayor of L'Hospitalet de Llobregat (Barcelona), Núria Marín, and the first deputy mayor and head of the Economy portfolio at the Barcelona council, Jaume Collboni.
