The Diplomat
The Spanish Government yesterday expressed its concern and rejection of the decision of the President of Russia, Vladimir Putin, to suspend his country’s participation in the START III Nuclear Arms Reduction Treaty with the United States.
“The Government expresses its concern and rejection of Russia’s decision to suspend its participation in the nuclear arms reduction treaty” and reiterates “the solidarity and unity of Spain and the whole of the European Union with the Ukrainian people in repelling this unilateral, unjust and unjustified aggression”, declared the spokesperson of the Executive, Isabel Rodríguez, during the press conference following the meeting of the Council of Ministers.
For his part, the Minister of Foreign Affairs, José Manuel Albares, stated to the press, after appearing before the Foreign Affairs Committee of the Congress, that the words pronounced yesterday by Putin during his State of the Nation address (on the eve of the first anniversary of the beginning of the Russian invasion of Ukraine) are worrying and, therefore, he himself would immediately contact the European partners and NATO allies to take a joint position.
In any case, the minister expressed his wish that the suspension of Russia’s participation in the so-called “New START” be reversed “as soon as possible” and assured that, for the time being, there are no indications that Putin’s announcement is not a mere “verbal escalation” or that it could translate into a “military escalation”. Albares also warned that Putin’s speech (in which he assured that Russia will achieve “step by step” its objectives in Ukraine) reveals that the Russian president is determined to continue the war unilaterally.
During his intervention before the Commission, José Manuel Albares insisted that the Government’s priority is that “peace returns to Europe as soon as possible and thus guarantee the security of Spaniards” and assured that Spain will continue to support Ukraine “as much as necessary”. “We cannot resign ourselves to war. We cannot resign ourselves to Russia’s warmongering”, he warned.
For her part, the Minister of Defense, Margarita Robles, declared yesterday that Putin’s words show that “he has no interest in achieving peace, but quite the opposite.” As for President Putin’s decision on START III, Robles did not dare to venture what the consequences might be, because “I do not dare to say what might go through Putin’s head, anything is possible”, but she pointed out that NATO is aware that the nuclear threat “is always a risk” and, therefore, it is necessary to act with “a lot of prevention and great care”.
