MADRID (AP) – Spanish Prime Minister Pedro Sanchez says this week’s NATO summit in Madrid aims to show the united front of Western allies defending democratic values in the face of Russia’s invasion of Ukraine, while boosting the bloc’s capabilities. for deterrence.
In an interview with the Associated Press the day before the summit on Tuesday, he reiterated that the alliance would not tolerate any territorial aggression against its members.
“We need to send a deterrent message that we are ready to defend every inch of Allied territory,” Sanchez said.
Russian President Vladimir Putin “is not just invading Ukraine. What he wants is to destabilize, to weaken the security, the prosperity of Europe.
Speaking at the palace, which hosts the prime minister’s office and residence in Madrid, Sanchez said the main goal of the NATO summit was to send “a message of unity in accordance with democracy, security, international order, based on rules that Unfortunately, Putin and the Russian Federation have been torn apart by the invasion of Ukraine.
A key issue will be to strengthen NATO’s military presence on its eastern flank, as well as to meet Spain’s request not to ignore growing threats on the alliance’s southern periphery, especially from volatile African regions such as the Sahel.
NATO Secretary-General Jens Stoltenberg said on Monday that the alliance would increase its rapid reaction force to 300,000 troops. The force currently numbers about 40,000 troops.
Stoltenberg also said the Allies would discuss how to respond to Russia’s and China’s growing influence in NATO’s “southern neighborhood.”
The Madrid summit, which begins with a state dinner on Tuesday, followed by discussions Wednesday, was announced a year ago with a view to a new “strategic concept”, the renewal of vows once a decade by NATO members, which outlines threats to alliance and its response.
But since Moscow launched its invasion of Ukraine on February 24, a key issue has been ending Finland and Sweden’s position on non-alignment and neutrality to apply for NATO membership, something that has irritated Russia.
NATO’s proclaimed unity is being put to the test, as Turkey, which has the alliance’s second-largest army after the United States, seeks assurances from Finland and Sweden against Kurdish groups that Ankara considers terrorists.
The leaders of the three countries announced that they would hold a special meeting in Madrid on Tuesday.
“The inclusion of Finland and Sweden, sooner or later, will be possible,” Sanchez told the AP. “We would like this to be at the summit in Madrid, I do not deny, but, obviously, if not, the negotiations will continue.
Sanchez, a socialist politician who has led Spain’s first national coalition government since early 2020, faces criticism from Unidas Podemos (United, We Can), a far-left party that holds five of the 22 seats in the cabinet, for support NATO’s military commitment to Ukraine.
Some members of United We Can have said they will not support Spain’s national budget next year if it increases military spending as Spaniards struggle with high inflation and other economic difficulties.
Without specifying a time frame, Sanchez said Spain is committed to increasing its defense budget from just over 1% of GDP – the second lowest share of all European NATO members – to 2% committed by all allies “in the next decade. “
Two of the most viewed points at the summit will be Russia and China when it comes to NATO’s new strategic roadmap for the next 10 years.
Sanchez said the “Strategic Concept”, which was last updated in Lisbon in 2010, would see Russia transform from a NATO partner into a “major threat to the security of the Atlantic Alliance”.
As for China, Sanchez said Beijing “is a challenge that also offers opportunities for cooperation”, which shows that Spain does not support classifying Beijing’s assertiveness as a threat, as some allies may want.
Overwhelmed by the global disruptions that the war in Ukraine has unleashed on energy and food supplies and the prospect of a serious recession, some European leaders have begun calling for an end to the war through negotiations, even if it involves territorial casualties on the part of Ukraine.
But Sanchez avoided supporting those calls.
“This is a decision that Ukraine must make, not us,” he said.
Add Comment