Eduardo González
The Minister of Foreign Affairs, José Manuel Albares, asked his European Union counterparts this Monday to completely prohibit trade in products from illegal settlements in the territories occupied by Israel in the West Bank.
“Since 2024 there has been an advisory opinion from the International Court of Justice that is very clear on this matter: that no type of trade should take place with products from illegal settlements,” Albares declared in Brussels upon arrival at the meeting of the Foreign Affairs Council of the European Union (FAC). “Spain has banned them for a long time, and that is, of course, the path that I believe the European Union has to follow,” he concluded.
On the other hand, at the FAC meeting the ministers addressed the Russian war of aggression against Ukraine and the Ukrainian Minister of Foreign Affairs, Adrii Sybiha, present at the meeting, reported on the latest events in the country and the future needs of Ukraine, especially in energy matters for the coming winter.
Until last year, Russian attacks have caused the loss of around 70 percent of the country’s electrical capacity. To help alleviate this situation, Spain has sent several consignments of electrical generators and high-voltage equipment for electrical substations and is participating in the development of a project with cogeneration units to ensure heating in the city of Sama, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs recalled this Monday in a press release.
Palestine Donor Group
Albares also participated this Monday in the second edition of the Donors Group for Palestine, in which he announced a contribution from Spain of four million euros in 2026, which is added to the 50 million that our country contributed in the first meeting of the Group. Furthermore, bilaterally, Spain has already contributed another five million euros to Palestine through the AECID programs and the UNDP Horizon Trust Fund.
According to Foreign Affairs, Spain was the fourth largest contributor to UNRWA in 2025, with a contribution of 38 million euros, and in 2026 it has already made contributions of 15 million euros. With what was announced this Monday, the total rises to 24 million.
“In the current critical situation, we have to promote even stronger action to alleviate the humanitarian catastrophe on the ground and be at the side of the Gazan population,” Albares warned in his speech. “All our efforts must be aimed at moving towards the only political horizon: the implementation of the two-state solution. This is the path to a just and lasting peace for Palestinians and Israelis. This is the path to laying solid foundations for regional security and stability,” he concluded.
The Commissioner for the Mediterranean, Dubravka Šuica, the Prime Minister of the Palestinian Authority, Mohammad Mustafa, and representatives of the donor countries participated in the event.