2023-12-22 21:45:21
The government of Spain announced that it has chosen to “exercise the utmost caution” before deciding whether to participate in the US-led coalition in the Red Sea against attacks by Yemeni armed forces affiliated with the Ansar Allah movement targeting ships linked to Israel or heading to Israeli ports.
The spokeswoman for the Spanish leftist government, Pilar Alegría, explained that “Spain will never participate in a process (in a) unilateral manner,” recalling that Madrid’s participation can only take place “under the umbrella of the European Union and the North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO).”
She summarized the Spanish position on the American initiative, which was announced by US Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin on Monday, with the phrase “the utmost caution.”
She was speaking after a meeting between Spanish Socialist Prime Minister Pedro Sanchez and the leader of the right-wing opposition party, Alberto Nunez Viejo.
In a separate press conference, Vijo said that he asked Sanchez about Spain’s possible participation in this alliance, which now includes, according to a Pentagon spokesman, more than 20 countries.
“The decision is not to interfere, or at least not to interfere under the conditions proposed by the United States,” Vikho quoted the Prime Minister as saying.
As of Tuesday morning, the Spanish Ministry of Defense warned that “Spain (depends) on the decisions of the European Union and NATO and therefore will not (participate) unilaterally” in this operation called “Guardian of Prosperity.”
Unlike other European countries, Spain did not announce sending any ships to the Red Sea to join this alliance.
The Spanish government did not provide details about its reservations regarding the American initiative, but it is known that the ruling partner of the Socialist Party is a radical leftist party strongly opposed to American foreign policy.
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