The Minister of Defense, Margarita Robles, reiterated this Friday Spain’s refusal to participate in international missions in the Red Sea to protect commercial maritime transport from attacks by Yemen’s Houthi rebels. It will neither be part of the one sponsored by the United States, nor will it be integrated into the one prepared by the European Union to be operational at the end of February. And she will not do it, according to the Defense Minister, out of a “sense of responsibility and commitment to peace.” These statements come after the United States and the United Kingdom have launched airstrikes against several cities controlled by militias in Yemen.
The minister, in statements to journalists, assured that Spain will not oppose the specific mission to patrol the Red Sea that the European Union is preparing. However, it is ruled out for her as it already advanced at the end of December, when Spain opposed reorienting the Atalanta mission, which fights against piracy in the Indian Sea. The Defense Minister recalled that Spain “is already committed” to 17 other international missions. Among them, she leads Atalanta, Lebanon, and is one of the few European countries that remains in the Sahel.
For this reason, Robles recalled that “Spain makes its own decisions; No country has to tell you where you have to intervene”, in clear reference to the first list that the United States distributed of the participants in the international mission, which included Spain, despite the fact that the Government denied participation from the first moment.
“Assessing our possibilities and capabilities, always within the umbrella of NATO, the United Nations and the European Union, we will always commit to actions that support peace and dialogue,” he stressed.
The minister has denied pressure from the United States for Spain to join the mission to protect Houthi commercial maritime transport, after it was learned that the head of the US Army telephoned his Spanish counterpart to address the matter.
Assessing our possibilities and capabilities where we intervene, always within the umbrellas of NATO, the United Nations or the EU. Spain will always commit to actions that support peace and dialogue, and Spain will continue working on the missions it is in. “The purpose of [last Monday’s phone call] was not that issue; “It was just a first contact,” he said, despite the fact that the United States issued a statement stating that the issue was addressed.
