Despite increasing pressure from both the European Union and NATO, the Foreign Minister, Jose Manuel Albares, avoids clarifying whether Spain will send any of its Patriot anti-aircraft missile batteries to Ukraine to help it repel Russian attacks against civilian infrastructure. Bombings that have already destroyed 70% of the country's electricity generation capacity, which is in a “very difficult” situation.
“We are very aware of the need for anti-aircraft defenses, and especially Patriots, on the part of Ukraine. Spain has always done everything it could and what was in its power“Albares explained upon his arrival at the meeting of foreign ministers of the 27 held this Monday in Luxembourg.
“Spain has always been at Ukraine's side in everything it has needed. Since this is a real war, I have never been too fond of explainingof giving too many explanations of what is happening, where it is happening,” the Foreign Minister alleged to justify his refusal to give a concrete answer.
[Zelenski celebra la ayuda de EEUU: “Impedirá que la guerra se expanda y salvará miles de vidas”]
For his part, the EU High Representative for Foreign Policy, Josep Borrell, once again asked the Member States this Monday to “do everything you can to increase Ukraine's air defense capability“But he did not want to comment on the specific case of Spain.
Following the holding of an urgent NATO-Ukraine Council last Friday, the Secretary General of the Atlantic Alliance, Jens Stoltenbergsaid I was waiting for “new announcements” by the Member States that they will send Patriot batteries to kyiv. Stoltenberg argues that right now allies must prioritize aid to Ukraine over their own defense.
“The Patriots can only be called air defense systems if they work and save lives, instead of sitting motionless in some storage base. The Patriots should be in the hands of Ukraine right now,” he wrote this Sunday on social network the ukrainian president, Volodymyr Zelensky.
Despite all these calls, Germany is so far the only country that has confirmed shipment of a new Patriot battery to Ukraine (which will be added to the other two that had already been transferred). The Ukrainian government maintains that it needs at least seven to guarantee its protection against Russian bombing. Germany, Holland, Spain, Greece, Poland and Romania are the member states that have these air defense systems.
According to what the newspaper published this Monday Financial Timesseveral European leaders took advantage of the summit held last week in Brussels to pressure Pedro Sanchez and to the Greek Prime Minister, Kyriakos Mitsotakis and convince them to give up some of their Patriots to kyiv.
On the other hand, the pressure was much less on Poland and Romania, considering that these two countries are more vulnerable to possible attacks from Russia.
