The Diplomat in Spain

The Diplomat

The Minister of Defence, Margarita Robles, yesterday visited the Spanish military contingent deployed in Slovakia, where she backed the military reinforcement of NATO’s eastern flank in the face of the Russian threat.

The Spanish Armed Forces began the progressive deployment of personnel and capabilities in Slovakia on 20 January of this year, where from 30 June they will lead a multinational brigade of 1,500 troops, maintaining a permanently deployed ‘Battlegroup’ (combat group) in the town of Lest which, in June, will take over from the one led by the Czech Republic.

Slovakia’s is one of eight battalions NATO has deployed on its eastern flank as part of its post-invasion strategy in Ukraine, which is scheduled to become a multinational brigade by mid-2025.

There are currently 608 soldiers in Lest and 16 in the town of Kuchyna, to which some 150 will be added in June to complete the bulk of the Spanish contingent.

Robles held a meeting in Lest with her Slovakian counterpart, Robert Kalinak, during which the commitment of both countries in their support for Ukraine was made clear.

“Once again Spain demonstrates its commitment to solidarity with allied countries, with magnificent relations, in this case with Slovakia,” said Robles, highlighting the “magnificent” deterrence work carried out by the Spanish military.

For his part, the Slovakian minister thanked the Spaniards for their solidarity “which, he said, makes us feel more secure in difficult times” and expressed his willingness for Slovakia to be a quality host and to show its friendly face.