Zelensky in Spain for global south support

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskiy made an unannounced visit to Madrid, meeting Spanish Prime Minister Pedro Sanchez and Latin American leaders gathered in the city for the Ibero-American Summit. The trip is part of Kyiv's push to shore up support from the so-called Global South as international attention on Ukraine's war effort shows signs of fraying. Zelenskiy's talks with leaders from across Latin America, a region where sympathy for Ukraine has been uneven, come as Kyiv seeks to broaden its diplomatic and material backing beyond its core Western allies. The visit also underscores Spain's role as a bridge between Europe and Spanish- and Portuguese-speaking nations. What to watch next: whether the Madrid meetings translate into concrete pledges of aid or political support from Latin American governments.