The Diplomat
The spokeswoman for Foreign Affairs of the Popular Parliamentary Group, Valentina Martínez, yesterday demanded the Minister of Foreign Affairs, José Manuel Albares, to commit to support Ukraine’s candidacy to the EU at the next European Council in June. In his response, Albares skirted this issue and criticized the “disloyalty” of the PP in foreign policy.
“I am going to demand you to make a commitment: that Spain supports at the next European Council in June that Ukraine becomes a candidate country to the European Union,” said the PP MP during the plenary session of the Congress. “It is the least Spain can do to show solidarity,” she continued. “This is exactly what you have asked us for, a proposal. There you have a proposal and now answer clearly”, she added.
Prior to Martínez’s intervention, the minister had accused the PP of seeking to “wear down the Government” without “reaching out” and without presenting any proposal. Subsequently, in his response to the PP MP, Albares regretted that “no other European country is encountering such a disloyal opposition” and avoided any mention of the PP proposal on Ukraine.
On March 1, the President of Ukraine, Volodymir Zelenski, asked the European Parliament to support his country’s accession to the EU, because Europe “must show that it is on Ukraine’s side”. Ten days later, EU leaders meeting at the informal European Council recognized Ukraine’s European option and asked the Commission to submit its opinion on Ukraine’s application for EU membership in accordance with the relevant provisions of the Treaties.
If anything has been clear to date, it is the lack of unanimity among European partners regarding the use of the urgent procedure for Ukraine’s accession, which only eight countries (Bulgaria, Poland, Latvia, Lithuania, Estonia, Slovenia, Slovakia and the Czech Republic) have expressly supported. The Ukrainian Embassy in Madrid has repeatedly requested Spain’s “explicit” support for the candidacy.
