Sending battle tanks to Ukraine will not only not create an escalation of the conflict, but will provide the Ukrainian people with tools to defend themselves. This is the thesis defended by the Defense Minister, Margarita Robles, today in Congress, where she has come dragged by the groups of the left to account for the Spanish contribution, which will materialize in a first shipment of six Leopard 2A4 after Easter.
They are almost ready after the necessary tuning to which they have been subjected due to the “unfortunate state” in which they were. And in line, another four tanks that will also be repaired to comply with the commitment made by the President of the Government, Pedro Sánchez.
Pro-independence parties such as ERC or EH Bildu requested explanations from the minister for the announcement of the sending of tanks, like other European partners, to Ukraine since the government’s decision was not debated in the Congress of Deputies. The Executive is not obliged to do so. However, thanks to the key vote in favor of United We Can, the usual parliamentary partners have managed to get Robles to go to the Lower House this Wednesday to account for it.
The Minister of Defense, during her first speech, has focused on refuting the theory maintained by the left that through these shipments an escalation of the armed conflict will take place next summer. “As many as some insist on spreading it, it is hard to conceive that the shipment will provide an escalation in the war.”
For this reason, the minister has burst into arguments from the speaker’s rostrum during the plenary session. She has defended that now “it is more necessary than ever” to continue supporting Ukraine unconditionally so that the people invaded by Russia “can continue to exercise their legitimate right to defense.” At a point, as she has remarked, in which diplomatic channels do not seem to be going to put an end to the conflict because “Russian President Vladimir Putin is not on the path of dialogue.”
The minister has also insisted that Spanish shipments have not stopped since the war began in February of last year. But that these donations have been made discreetly, as she has always been defending and not because of the internal disputes between the two souls of the coalition government, so as not to give clues to the enemy. Robles has listed a list of military and humanitarian material made. “We have not wanted to wear medals,” she assured.
Regarding the possibility, disseminated by Unidas Podemos, of sending Spanish soldiers to Ukraine, the minister has once again categorically denied it, as she did during an interview with La Vanguardia, on the first anniversary of the invasion of Ukraine. “No Spanish soldier is going to fight there,” the Defense Minister concluded, adding that neither NATO has requested it nor has the Government “never considered it.”
The arguments offered by the minister have not convinced United We Can, the other partner of the coalition that has always remained belligerent with the head of Defense. And vice versa. The deputy Ismael Cortés has asked him where the red lines are in arms shipments, after sending combat planes has been put on the European table. A proposal that from Spain, for the moment, has been completely ruled out.
Along the same lines, ERC spokeswoman Marta Rosique has reproached Robles that the “only solution is to send weapons.” “Why not send planes to Ukraine in the summer”, she asked him.
