The Diplomat
The Minister of Foreign Affairs, José Manuel Albares, assured yesterday in Paris that Spain will “respond to the needs” of Ukraine after the “humanitarian disaster” caused by the blowing up of the hydroelectric dam of Kakhovka. He also called for an investigation into this event, although without directly accusing Russia in order “not to rush”, and declined to clarify whether Spain is going to deliver Patriot anti-aircraft missile batteries to Ukraine.
“Spain will respond to the needs that the Ukrainian people may have, as it has always done,” especially after “this humanitarian, ecological disaster, which is going to affect the lives of thousands of people who are going to have to leave their homes,” Albares told the press after participating in the annual ministerial meeting of the Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD).
When asked whether the blowing up of this hydroelectric dam on the Dnieper River was the work of Russia, the minister opted for prudence, because “I will not be the one to be hasty in pointing it out”. In any case, he warned that “there has to be an investigation” into this act contrary to International Humanitarian Law”. “Whoever is responsible for these acts has to answer to them, as with everything that happens in Ukraine”, because “what there cannot be is impunity”, he declared.
On the other hand, Albares evaded any response on the possible sending of Patriot anti-aircraft missiles to Ukraine by Spain, after the newspaper El País reported on pressures in this regard by both the Ukrainian president, Volodimir Zelenski, and the prime minister of the Netherlands, Mark Rutte.
“Spain has been contributing for a long time to the defense of sovereignty, territorial integrity and the defense of Ukrainian civilians”, and has even delivered “anti-aircraft batteries”, he declared. In the Minister’s opinion, in view of this type of requests it is necessary to “act united” with the rest of partners and allies and “to be as effective as possible, so that the democratically elected government in Ukraine can defend its sovereignty and territorial integrity and its civilians”.
Likewise, Albares assured that the Spanish Government is not aware “at all” that Spanish weapons have been used on Russian territory, in relation to the investigation opened by Belgium on the possible use of weapons sent to Ukraine by Ukrainian paramilitary groups operating inside Russia.
