Spain will not be increasing its military presence in Eastern Europe

Spain’s Defence Minister, Margarita Robles, says Spain will not increase its military presence in eastern Europe

Margarita Robles, Spain’s Defence Minister, announced this Friday, February 25, that Spain will not be sending additional troops to join those already deployed in Eastern Europe with Nato forces. This is despite the fact that other countries are mobilising extra soldiers to the region after Russia’s invasion on Thursday 24, of Ukraine.

Ms Robles made it clear that because Ukraine was not a member of NATO then Spanish forces are not required. But, any aggression against one of the countries belonging to the Atlantic Alliance will immediately have “immediate consequences” she stressed.

Robles was appearing in La Moncloa to explain the results of the telematic meeting of the NATO countries, in which the President of the Government, Pedro Sanchez, had participated. Like the rest of the leaders, she explained that he had expressed his absolute rejection of the Russian invasion of Ukraine.

And after conveying Spain’s commitment “to the European Union, to NATO, and to the values ​​of peace they represent”, he insisted on the “forceful” condemnation of both, because Russia’s “aggression is absolutely unacceptable”.

As soon as the meeting ended, Sanchez posted on his Twitter account, “The NATO countries condemn Russia’s unjustified attack that puts the security of Ukraine, Europe, and global stability at risk. The Alliance and the EU are responding in a coordinated way, with unity and firmness, and we support the Ukrainian people at this time”.

According to Robles, Pedro Sanchez’s position had been made “very clear, and very categorical, as it was yesterday in the European Union”, expressing what Spain is, “a serious, reliable, and committed partner, for peace in the world”.

Spain currently has 350 soldiers in Latvia, 150 in Bulgaria, and about 300 in three ships in the Black Sea. Four Eurofighter fighter aircraft from Wing 14 are deployed in Bulgaria, as reported by diariodesevilla.es.

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