Barcelona (EFE).- The Defense Minister, Margarita Robles, has assured that “never, ever, any troops from a NATO country, and Spain is one of them, will participate in the war in Ukraine”, before the warnings from Podemos partners in the Government about the escalation of the war in this conflict.
One year after the start of the Russian invasion of Ukraine, Robles takes stock this Sunday in an interview with the newspaper La Vanguardia of what happened and of Spain’s participation in NATO initiatives.
Given the warnings from Podemos, according to which the escalation of the war could lead to the sending of Spanish troops to Ukraine, the Minister of Defense is blunt: “It is an absolutely impossible scenario; non-existent. Spanish soldiers would only intervene if there was an aggression against a NATO country”.
“Never, ever, will any troops from a NATO country, and Spain is one of them, go to participate in the war in Ukraine. Never never. I want to make it very clear, very clear. Before speaking, you have to know the NATO treaty and know that the troops of a member country only intervene if another member country is attacked and asks for help (invoking article 5 of the founding treaty)”, he says.
Regarding the Leopard tanks that Spain has withdrawn, Robles points out that “during the years of the Popular Party government, very little was invested in defense” and explains that the 2A4 tanks that are in Zaragoza, “in deplorable conditions, are being subject to reparation.”
Margarita Robles hopes that this set-up will finish soon to integrate them into a battalion with the tanks donated by other countries, at the same time that the training of the men who must drive these vehicles and those responsible for their maintenance has begun.
“I insist a lot -he points out- that the Leopards have an exclusive purpose: defense, never aggression against Russia”.
The minister regrets that “a very bloody spring” is expected in this conflict and denounces that this is not a war between armies but “against the Ukrainian civilian population.” “They are massacring her,” she says.
Regarding a possible negotiation, he points to Vladimir Putin. “We all want a ceasefire but the Russian president has made it very clear, without any doubt, that he wants to continue this war,” he said.
Robles explains that they do not have data to know if a nuclear war scenario will be reached, although he thinks that a “terribly dramatic point for humanity” will not be reached.
The head of Defense avoids the controversy with the leader of the PP, Alberto Núñez Feijóo, about his request to travel to Latvia to visit the Spanish troops because “the armed forces belong to everyone” and assures the popular leader has not spoken with her about this affair.
Although he points out that NATO’s priority now is the eastern flank of Europe, he also points out that the south cannot be forgotten and asks not to ignore the delicate situation in Africa due to rising food prices.
