The Diplomat
The Minister of Defense, Margarita Robles, warned yesterday the Spanish Ambassador in Bern, Celsa Nuño, that Switzerland is vetoing the shipment of certain military material from Spain to Ukraine.
Robles made this warning during her intervention in the second and last day of the VII Conference of Ambassadors, which was held since Monday at the headquarters of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs in the Plaza del Marqués de Salamanca and which brought together the 118 ambassadors and 11 permanent representatives in international organizations that Spain has in the world.
Spain has sent military material to Ukraine since the very beginning of the war, in February 2022, and will continue to do so to help this country in its “legitimate defense” against the “unjust, illegal and cruel” Russian invasion, said Margarita Robles, who told the ambassadors that a new “important” shipment is planned for next week.
In this context, and in response to a question from Celsa Nuño, the minister revealed during yesterday’s meeting that Switzerland is vetoing the shipment, from Spain to Ukraine, of certain military material that requires the endorsement of the manufacturing country in order to be re-exported. “We understand, respect and accept the neutrality issue, but for some material we need a certain authorization from Switzerland, which is not being given at the moment”, regretted Robles, who announced that her Ministry is going to ask for the collaboration of the Spanish Embassy in Switzerland in order to obtain the go-ahead.
Besides, she continued, Spain is also collaborating with Ukraine through the reception of refugees, the treatment of the wounded (next Saturday several people will arrive to be treated at the Gómez Ulla hospital in Madrid) and the training of members of the Ukrainian Armed Forces. Last November, Robles reiterated before her EU counterparts Spain’s commitment to the European Union Military Assistance Mission in support of Ukraine (EUMAM Ukraine), which will allow the training of up to 2,400 military personnel per year in the new Toledo Training Command. In the near future, 200 new Ukrainian soldiers will arrive to receive training in Seville and Toledo, the minister announced to the ambassadors.
On the other hand, Margarita Robles once again demanded an increase in defense spending, included in the General Budget for 2023, because the war in Ukraine “has revealed” the state of “absolute insecurity” in which we currently live and because investing in defense is “investing in peace, in freedom and in democratic values”. Last January 6, the King expressed, during the Military Easter, his support for the “significant” increase in military spending approved by the Government in the Budget and the European Commissioner for the Internal Market, Thierry Breton, said yesterday in Madrid that King Philip VI is “absolutely right” and that, although the increase in spending from one to 1.02% of GDP “is better than nothing”, it is still “far from the desirable 2%”. For this reason, she dedicated words of praise to Margarita Robles, who, “at least, has a plan and also has the will to reach that 2%” in a few years.
The minister also highlighted the importance of the Sahel and Spain’s commitment to remain in the EU mission in Mali, despite the departures of France, Germany and the Czech Republic, and warned of the growing Chinese and Russian influence in Africa. “We cannot let Africa fall into the hands of China and Russia,” she declared.
