Zelenskyy makes surprise visit to Madrid for talks with Sánchez and Latin American leaders

Madrid has opened the 30th Iberia American Summit but only 10 of the community's 22 heads of state and government are attending. The gathering began on Wednesday with the minute of silence for the victims of the Erda train accident. Brazil's Lula da Silva, Mexico's Claudia Schoenbaum and Venezuela's Delcy Rodriguez are among those absent. And Argentina's Javier Miler is in the Spanish capital. But, skipped the opening ceremony and the dinner hosted by the King and Queen. Two weeks ago, on a previous visit, he called Prime Minister Pedro Sanchez and the quote unpresentable dictator. On Wednesday evening, he met with Vox leader Santiago Abascal with plans to attend Thursday's plenary session. King Felipe VI opened the meeting with a message on the economy. The answer, he said, lies not in protectionism. He called for legal certainty and strong institutions to attract investment, and for closer ties between the European Union and Latin America. Elegir el camino adecuado será como fue ayer, como lo es hoy. Meanwhile, there was also a surprise arrival when Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy flew into Madrid unannounced. The summit continues Thursday with a plenary session at the Gallery of the Royal Collections where five agreements are due to be ratified, including an alliance on artificial intelligence.