<h6><strong>Eduardo González/Ane Barcos</strong></h6> <h4><strong>Defense Minister Margarita Robles announced to her EU counterparts this Thursday the establishment of "the first" Spanish arms manufacturing plants in Ukraine.</strong></h4> Robles made this announcement during her speech at the informal meeting of European Union defense ministers in Warsaw. During her remarks, the minister reiterated that Spain will continue to support Ukraine "as long as necessary, even more so under the current circumstances, within the framework of the ongoing peace negotiations." "Spain has been helping Ukraine from the very beginning with shipments of humanitarian aid and training programs for combatants, without forgetting their families, who have a firm ally in our country," she continued. Robles also emphasized the need to boost the defense industry and announced, according to a press release from the Ministry, "the establishment of the first Spanish defense industries in Ukraine." On March 14, Ukrainian Defense Minister Rustem Umerov met in Madrid with representatives of the Spanish security and defense industries (Escribano Mechanical & Engineering, Rheinmetall EXPAL, Instalaza, Arquimea, Nammo Palencia, and New Technologies Global Systems), which provide equipment and materials to Ukraine as part of the bilateral military assistance package pledged by Spain. He also inquired about Spain's capacity to produce the military equipment needed by his country, with particular attention to ammunition of all types. During that same visit, Robles stated that the materials provided by Spanish industry could play a "crucial role" in achieving peace and informed his Ukrainian counterpart about the establishment of the first Spanish defense industry plants in his country. In her speech in Warsaw, Robles warned that European defense must be based on a comprehensive security model in order to achieve "broad social support," and stressed the importance of Europe gradually achieving strategic autonomy through a geographically balanced industry and the participation of small and medium-sized businesses. <h5><strong>The Warsaw Meeting</strong></h5> The objective of the Warsaw meeting was to discuss strengthening the bloc's defensive capabilities and intensifying support for Ukraine in the face of Russian aggression. The meeting was chaired by the EU High Representative for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy, Kaja Kallas, and the Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of National Defense of Poland, Władysław Kosiniak-Kamysz. The ministers stressed the need to maintain and expand military, political, and humanitarian support for Ukraine. "Ukraine will only achieve a just peace if it is strong. We must be strong together with our alliance, together with our union," Kosiniak-Kamysz declared. To this end, the ministers agreed on the need to continue promoting initiatives in the areas of armament and training of Ukrainian soldiers, in addition to fostering joint projects with the Ukrainian defense industry. For her part, Kallas stressed that “Europe, the United States, and, above all, Ukraine want this war to end,” but accused Russia of obstructing any attempt at a peaceful resolution. He also highlighted recent commitments from several European countries, such as the €12 billion from Germany and the additional €2 billion from France. “These contributions are not just numbers. This money will save lives,” she stated. Regarding the “Defense White Paper,” Kosiniak-Kamysz described this document as “a fundamental step for EU security” and insisted that this initiative does not seek to replace NATO, but rather to strengthen it by improving European military capabilities. “Whoever says we are competing with NATO is speaking absolute nonsense. We are doing everything we can to make the Alliance stronger,” he stated. He also made it clear that decisions on the procurement of military equipment will remain in the hands of the Member States, arguing that “armies remain national, and sovereignty will be stronger when Europe is more secure.” The ministers also addressed the need to remove administrative obstacles that hinder the movement of military equipment in Europe. Kosiniak-Kamysz stressed that “sometimes we will need speed, and that speed will be key to defending our values, our independence, and the sovereignty of our nations.” The meeting was attended remotely by Ukrainian Defense Minister Rustem Umerov and NATO Deputy Secretary General Radmila Shekerinska. The ministers reaffirmed the EU's commitment to Ukraine's security and to the further integration of European defense capabilities in an increasingly challenging global context.
