© EFE
The Minister for Territorial Policy and Government Spokesperson Isabel Rodríguez (c) together with the Minister for Transport, Raquel Sánchez, and the Vice President Nadia Calviño (l), at a press conference after the Council of Ministers. (EFE/Emilio Naranjo)
The Spanish Government continues to refuse to send offensive weapons bilaterally to Ukraine. Of the European countries, only Hungary maintains a position similar to that of Spain. The decision is firm and agreed with coalition partners, with whom, according to Moncloa, “there is only one voice” in this decision. The argument used by the Executive is that it will contribute to the provision of military weapons to face the Russian offensive in Ukraine only within the framework of the EU, if a centralized purchase is made, as in the case of vaccines.
“Spain is going to send weapons directly to Ukraine, we will do it within the European fund for peace,” argued the government spokeswoman, Isabel Rodríguez, at a press conference from Moncloa after the Council of Ministers. This fund is endowed with 500 million euros, of which 50 will be used for humanitarian aid and the remaining 450 for offensive military material. Spain is the fourth country that contributes the most to this common fund, having contributed 40 million euros (8.7% of the total). “We are committed to a centralized mechanism, with Spain’s clear commitment to Ukraine to also provide offensive material, but what we want is done within the Union,” Rodríguez stressed.
“We believe that the best way to contribute is to act in a coordinated manner in the EU, what gives strength is unity,” say sources from Moncloa, with a position that they say is aligned with that expressed by the high representative of the European Union to Foreign Affairs, Josep Borrell. The Executive defends that the unity of action be maintained as it has been up to now, in reference to the closure of Europe’s airspace to flights from Russia or economic sanctions. Despite this, the Ministry of Defense has unilaterally sent twenty tons of defensive and humanitarian material.