<h6><strong>Eduardo González</strong></h6> <h4><strong>Prime Minister Pedro Sánchez participated in the informal meeting of the European Council in Copenhagen on Wednesday, where he defended the need to strengthen European defense and security capabilities and the strengthening of the European defense industry in order to reduce external dependencies.</strong></h4> According to a press release from the Moncloa, the European leaders addressed "two priority issues for the European Union": the situation in Ukraine and European security and defense. They also held a strategic debate to continue making progress on the White Paper on European Defense Readiness 2030 based on the Roadmap being prepared by the European Commission, which will establish milestones for strengthening European strategic autonomy. During the discussions, according to the Moncloa, Pedro Sánchez expressed Spain's solidarity with the countries affected by the recent Russian incursions in Eastern Europe and recalled that Spain maintains a military and equipment presence in four countries in the region, in addition to participating in NATO's Operation Eastern Sentry in support of Poland. He also advocated for strengthening European defense and security capabilities and for strengthening the European defense industry, underscoring the importance of advancing "strategic autonomy that reduces external dependencies." Finally, the Prime Minister insisted on the need to incorporate a 360-degree view of European security, reinforcing the Eastern flank without neglecting the North or the South, and allowing the continent to prepare for all types of threats. In statements to the press before the start of the meeting, Sánchez noted that this European Council was of "great importance for Europe" in a "difficult and complex" context due to the "hybrid attacks" facing the continent and the "war in Ukraine perpetrated by Putin and his neo-imperialism." He also highlighted the importance of addressing the "important challenge facing the defense and security industry," both in the area of "the traditional defense industry that provides us with sufficient autonomy and capabilities" to, he insisted, "be able to respond to the geopolitical challenge posed by Putin's neo-imperialism," and in the digital realm and "everything related to disinformation."
