The Diplomat
The President of the Government, Pedro Sánchez, has been in telephone contact with several European leaders over the last few hours to analyse the crisis in Ukraine, which he says he is following “very closely”.
In his Twitter account, Sánchez assures that he is in “permanent contact” with representatives of the European Union and NATO, while he is committed to “unity, détente, solidarity and dialogue” to resolve the crisis with Russia: “This is the time for diplomacy”, he says.
In addition to recent talks with the President of France, Emmanuel Macron, the Prime Ministers of Norway and the United Kingdom, Jonas Gahr Store and Boris Johnson, and the meeting with the Chancellor of Germany, Olaf Scholzse, Sánchez has in recent hours added contacts with the President of the European Council, Charles Michel, and the High Representative for Foreign Policy, Josep Borrell.
He also spoke yesterday afternoon with the Prime Minister of Poland, Mateusz Morawiecki, and today he plans to do so with the Secretary General of NATO, Jens Stoltenberg, the President of the European Commission, Ursula von der Leyen, and the Prime Minister of Latvia, Arturs Krisjanis Karins.
Moncloa also expects to speak in the coming days with the President of Lithuania, Gitanas Nauseda, and the Prime Minister of Estonia, Kaja Kallas, countries which, like Latviaare particularly concerned about the situation, given their proximity to Russia.
At a breakfast briefing organised by Europa Press on Friday, the Minister of Foreign Affairs, EU and Cooperation, José Manuel Albares, said that “Spain is not hiding” in the face of the crisis between Russia and Ukraine, while insisting that there is still room for dialogue for a de-escalation that avoids conflict.
In addition, Albares insisted that “the foreign action of the government is determined by the president”, despite the fact that in the last few hours the United Podemos leaders, partners in Sánchez’s government, have continued to criticise the willingness expressed by Spain to participate in NATO missions in the event of a possible conflict.
Among the latest statements critical of the government’s stance and, in particular, that of the Minister of Defence, Margarita Robles, is that of the former secretary general of Unidas Podemos and former vice-president of the government, Pablo Iglesias, who, from Valladolid, reproached her for her “militaristic rage”. He asked her: “Do you think, Minister, that people are stupid and believe that NATO is anything other than a military alliance to protect the interests of the United States?
