Sánchez announces he will propose to Congress the deployment of “peacekeeping troops” to Palestine

Eduardo González The President of the Government, Pedro Sánchez, announced this Thursday, January 8, before the Conference of Ambassadors his intention to propose to Congress the deployment of Spanish peacekeeping troops to Palestine. He also warned that the future of Venezuela “must be decided by Venezuelans, not a foreign country,” defended the possible deployment of Spanish troops to Ukraine, and affirmed that Spain cannot remain silent “in the face of the explicit threats” from the US to the “territorial integrity” of Denmark. “We have begun the year with an intervention in Venezuela that clearly violates international law and opens a horizon of uncertainty throughout Latin America and the Caribbean, a region, as you know, that is very important for Spain,” stated Pedro Sánchez during the opening of the 10th Conference of Spanish Ambassadors, held at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs headquarters in the Plaza del Marqués de Salamanca in Madrid. This event, he warned, is part of “the structural changes that have been taking place for some years now and that have accelerated in recent months in the world order,” changes “profound that affect values, very essential principles, that threaten peace, global security, and that directly affect medium-sized countries such as Spain,” he continued. “Certainties that seemed immutable are no longer so, threats that we thought were relegated to the dustbin of history have resurfaced,” Sánchez stated. “Force is prioritized over collaboration, hard power replaces soft power, and therefore, the goal is to conquer, not to convince. These are the recipes of the past to which some cling today, and I believe they do so mistakenly, because going back to the 19th century will not help us advance in the 21st century,” he declared. In these circumstances, he warned, “Spain’s response must be unequivocal, it must be decisive, we must redouble our commitment to multilateralism, we must defend the rules-based international order, we must reaffirm the values and principles enshrined in the UN Charter.” Therefore, it is necessary to reaffirm “coherence” in foreign policy, which means, he affirmed, “that there can be no double standards in Venezuela, in Gaza, in Ukraine, and in any other scenario.” The response, in his view, must be “always identical when international law is violated.” “Atlanticism does not mean vassalage” “It is clear that we are Europeans, we are transatlantic, I have said this on many occasions,” Pedro Sánchez continued. “Spain and this administration are pro-Atlantic, but Atlanticism does not mean vassalage; it means loyal cooperation on equal terms, defined by common objectives for both the United States and Europe,” he warned. In this context, Sánchez stated that “it is important that Spain’s clear voice be heard when denouncing the threat to the territorial integrity of a European state, a state that is an ally of the NATO Atlantic alliance, as is the case with Denmark,” and therefore, “we must not remain silent in the face of such explicit threats,” just as “we have not remained silent in many other areas when these violations of international law have occurred.” Venezuela Regarding Venezuela, Sánchez recalled that his government has “strongly condemned the recent military intervention in that country with which we share so many ties.” “There is no room for half-measures or lukewarm responses, just as there was no room for such half-measures or lukewarm responses when we had to reject the supposed legitimacy of the victory—which, of course, was not legitimate—of (Nicolás) Maduro in the last presidential elections in Venezuela,” he asserted. “Violation of international law is always a defeat, and it is a fundamental defeat for democracies, even where democracy does not exist. It sets a dangerous precedent for global peace and security, and therefore, the response to illegitimacy cannot be to commit an illegal act,” he warned. According to the Prime Minister, “Spain will continue to do everything necessary to defend the Venezuelan people, their sovereignty, and their right to choose a democratic future without external interference.” “Let no one doubt it: we are going to actively support the transition to democracy in Venezuela, drawing on the strength of our country’s historical experience, so that Venezuela’s future is decided by Venezuelans, not by a foreign country, not by interests alien to those of Venezuelans,” he stated. Ukraine On the other hand, Sánchez assured that Spain will “continue to support Ukraine for as long as necessary” and emphasized that, “in this new definition of the European security architecture, Spain, for the first time in its history, is actively participating not only in its design but also in its implementation.” In this regard, the Prime Minister recalled that, during the recent meeting of the Coalition of Volunteers, held this past Tuesday in Paris, he himself explicitly raised, for the first time, the possibility of Spain sending armed forces to Ukraine if a peace agreement were reached. “The question is clear: if Spain has sent peacekeeping troops to many other geographical locations far from our country, how can we not send peacekeeping troops to Ukraine, to a European country?” he stressed. “We must actively participate in the design and implementation of this European security architecture, and we must participate, as the major European country that we are, in the collective security of Europe, both materially and politically,” he continued. Therefore, “we will be, as we have been from the beginning, with the Ukrainians, ensuring that their security needs are fully met, supporting their accession to the European Union, and participating with peacekeeping troops when the time comes, to contribute to security, peace, and stability, not only in Europe but also internationally,” he added. “That is what I will propose to Congress,” he added. Palestine In his address, Pedro Sánchez also announced his intention to propose to the Lower House, “that we be able to deploy peacekeeping troops to Palestine, when that opportunity arises, when we can, once and for all, see progress made in this peace process and, why not, in the medium term, hopefully sooner, in the recognition of the two states, Israel and Palestine.” “Peace, obviously, cannot be a mere interlude in a land ravaged by war,” he warned. “Peace demands the definitive implementation of the two-state solution, access to humanitarian aid, and therefore, compliance with the agreements,” because, “without a doubt, an independent, viable, and secure Palestinian state will be the solution for the stabilization, development, and progress of an important region, from a geopolitical and geostrategic point of view, for our continent and for our country,” he added. Europe and Defense Furthermore, Pedro Sánchez warned that “a more prosperous and socially responsible Europe is only possible if we make our continent a safer place.” “Dependence makes us more vulnerable in a world full of predators, and therefore, we must strengthen security as a European public good, but not through an arbitrary and uncoordinated increase in defense spending,” which would imply “greater dependence on the industry of third countries,” but rather through the “integrated development of the capabilities necessary to strengthen our independence,” he stated. “Although it may sound paradoxical, in these turbulent times I believe the best way to strengthen this transatlantic bond is to reinforce the European pillar of security, and that means greater open strategic autonomy for Europe and a greater weight for our autonomy in this relationship of equals, not vassalage, that must exist between North America and Europe,” he asserted. The UN In his address, Pedro Sánchez also announced that Spain will promote its candidacy for the United Nations Security Council in 2026 for the 2031 and 2032 terms, so that it may be “a positive and constructive voice in the defense of the United Nations and its legacy.” “2026 is going to be an important year, because the process for electing the new leader of the United Nations is already beginning, and what we want is for a woman, and a Latin American, to lead the United Nations Secretary-General for the first time in history,” he added.

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