<h6><strong>Eduardo González</strong></h6> <h4><strong>Prime Minister Pedro Sánchez insisted this Thursday in Brussels, at the end of the European Council, that he does not like the term "rearmament" to address the EU's defense and security challenges because, he warned, "right now, when we talk about security and defense, we are fundamentally talking about technology."</strong></h4> "I don't like the term rearmament," Sánchez declared at the press conference, repeating the same words he had spoken upon his arrival at the Council meeting, which discussed, among other issues, the White Paper on Defense and the European Commission's initiative, precisely called ReArm Europe. The "rearmament" approach is "an incomplete approach to the defense challenge," which should also be addressed under the "much broader umbrella of security," he continued. “The threats in southern Europe are different from those in eastern Europe. They are hybrid attacks rather than physical attacks. They have to do with cybersecurity, terrorism, instability in the Mediterranean, climate change emergencies, satellite connections, and Artificial Intelligence,” Sánchez explained. “Right now, when we talk about security and defense, we are fundamentally talking about technology,” he added. “To address deterrence, more defense infrastructure is needed, that's true, but we also need the security vision of Spain and other southern European countries, which have a different situation.” Therefore, it is necessary to move beyond “the traditional and classic vision of defense, because technology is also defining the course of the war in Ukraine,” the Prime Minister added. According to Sánchez, the White Paper on Defense itself shows a “clear commitment to European industry and to the training and development of human capital.” “I see it as an opportunity to address the technological leap that Europe needs,” he continued. "Spain is willing to lead" this process because it has "large companies and small, cutting-edge proposals in security and defense, and this is a great opportunity for them," he added. Regarding the disagreements within the government over increasing defense spending, Pedro Sánchez stated that the position of his "government partner, Sumar," is part of the "historical political disagreements in Spanish politics" and the traditional stance of the Spanish left on defense matters. "The Communist Party had it, Izquierda Unida had it with its rejection of NATO, Podemos has it, and now Sumar has it, but there are two things I am grateful for in Sumar: its respect for Spain's European commitments—and this is a European commitment—contributing to security and defense, and continuing to support the social agenda," he added. <h5><strong>The European Council</strong></h5> One day after the European Commission presented the long-awaited White Paper on Defense and the first detailed proposals for the ReArm Europe plan, EU leaders met in Brussels on Thursday to discuss competitiveness and follow up on the extraordinary European Council meeting of March 6, which addressed recent developments in Ukraine and the next steps in defense matters. <h5><strong>Ukraine</strong></h5> The highlight of the European Council's agenda was, as usual, the situation in Ukraine. The meeting began with a videoconference exchange of views with Ukraine's President, Volodymyr Zelensky, who asked European leaders for more money for artillery ammunition: "We need funds for projectiles and would appreciate Europe's support with at least €5 billion as soon as possible." The conclusions on Ukraine were subsequently adopted, supported by 26 Member States and opposed by Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orbán. In the approved text, the European Council reaffirms "its permanent and unwavering support for the independence, sovereignty, and territorial integrity of Ukraine within its internationally recognized borders" and maintains its "peace through strength" approach, according to which "Ukraine must be in the strongest possible position" for possible peace negotiations, which requires "solid Ukrainian military and defense capabilities." In line with this approach, “the European Union remains determined to provide, in coordination with its like-minded partners and allies, enhanced overall support to Ukraine and its people as they exercise their inherent right of self-defense against Russia's war of aggression,” the conclusions continue. Separately, the European Council welcomes the joint statement by Ukraine and the United States following their meeting in Saudi Arabia on March 11, 2025, in particular the proposals for a ceasefire agreement, humanitarian initiatives, and the resumption of intelligence sharing and security assistance by the US, and calls on Russia to “show genuine political will to end the war.” Pending developments, the European Union remains “ready to intensify pressure on Russia, including by adopting new sanctions and strengthening the implementation of existing measures.” The text also warns that "a comprehensive peace agreement that respects Ukraine's independence, sovereignty, and territorial integrity must be accompanied by strong and credible security guarantees for Ukraine in order to deter future Russian aggression." Therefore, it continues, "the European Union and the Member States stand ready to contribute to security guarantees, in particular by supporting Ukraine's ability to defend itself effectively, based on their respective competencies and capabilities, in accordance with international law." The European Union also commits to continuing to provide Ukraine with "regular and predictable financial support," and the European Council urges the Commission to "swiftly" take all necessary steps to implement this financing under the Ukraine Facility and the G7 initiative "Extra Revenue Acceleration Loans for Ukraine." The European Council also recalls initiatives aimed at strengthening EU military support to Ukraine, in particular the proposal by High Representative for the Common Foreign and Security Policy Kaja Kallas to coordinate enhanced support from Member States and other participating States on a voluntary basis, particularly with regard to large-caliber artillery, ammunition, and missiles, and calls on Member States to urgently step up efforts to address Ukraine's pressing military and defense needs. "All military assistance and security guarantees for Ukraine will be provided in full respect of the security and defense policies of certain Member States and taking into account the security and defense interests of all Member States," the text states. Furthermore, the European Union is committed to intensifying its support for Ukraine's reform process on its path to EU membership, and the European Council underlines, in this regard, the importance of advancing the merit-based negotiation process, with the opening of thematic groups when the conditions are met. <h5><strong>Conclusions on the Middle East</strong></h5> Regarding the Middle East, the European Council regrets the collapse of the ceasefire in Gaza and condemns Hamas's refusal to release the remaining hostages. It also calls for the immediate resumption of the ceasefire agreement and the release of hostages, as well as unrestricted humanitarian access and the restoration of electricity supplies in Gaza. On Syria, the Council condemns the violence against civilians in the coastal region and demands justice for the victims. It urges a peaceful transition without foreign interference and welcomes the agreement of 10 March 2025 between the transitional authorities and the Syrian Democratic Forces. It also considers further suspensions of sanctions against Syria depending on the development of the situation. <h5><strong>Security and Defense</strong></h5> On security and defense, following its conclusions of 6 March 2025 and in light of the White Paper on the Future of European Defense of 19 March 2025, the European Council urges "an acceleration of work in all areas to decisively strengthen Europe's defense preparedness in the next five years" and invites the Council and the co-legislators to "swiftly advance work on the Commission's recent proposals." The European Council also urges an urgent start to the implementation of the actions identified in its conclusions of 6 March 2025 in the area of capabilities, as well as continued work on relevant financing options. “The European Council recalls that a stronger and more capable European Union in the field of security and defense will make a positive contribution to global and transatlantic security and is complementary to NATO, which remains, for Member States, the basis of their collective defense,” the conclusions continue. This is understood “without prejudice to the specific nature of the security and defense policy of certain Member States and takes into account the security and defense interests of all Member States, in accordance with the Treaties,” the conclusions continue. The European Council invites the Commission and the High Representative to report regularly on the progress made in the implementation of its defense conclusions. It will revisit all work streams on this topic at its next meeting. <h5><strong>Competitiveness</strong></h5> Furthermore, the Council warns that “the need to invest in our defense and our competitiveness are closely interlinked.” Therefore, it underlines “the urgent need to strengthen Europe's competitiveness, building on the Budapest Declaration on the New European Competitiveness Pact and its conclusions of 6 March 2025 on European defense.” Therefore, it continues, “2025 should mark a radical shift in EU action to boost competitiveness, strengthen the Single Market, promote quality employment, and ensure the success of parallel transitions, in line with the agreed climate objectives.” “To achieve these objectives and contribute to closing the innovation and productivity gap with the EU's global competitors and within the EU, the European Council agrees to prioritize simplifying and reducing regulatory and administrative burdens, lowering energy prices, and mobilizing private savings to unlock the necessary investment in the EU economy,” it adds.
