Two days after denying it in an interview on TVE, Pedro Sánchez rectified and announced in Congress that Spain will send offensive weapons directly to Ukraine and not only through the European Peace Support Fund (FEAP), the mechanism created by the EU and to which Spain contributes 40 million euros (fourth donor) of the 500 with which it is endowed. The President of the Government defended the FEAP because “we must give a European response to a European threat”, but added: “As I see that there are groups that question the commitment of the Government of Spain, and for me and for the Government the unity of all is so important, so fundamental, I announce that Spain will deliver offensive military material to the Ukrainian resistance».
The rectification can only be qualified as successful because enjoyed almost unanimity in the House –only United We Can (UP), with nuances, and EH Bildu opposed– and because the direct shipment of weapons was a decision that had already been taken by 19 of the 27 EU countries and Spain was becoming isolated in his denial. The purple group was divided in their rejection. The second vice president, Yolanda Díaz, increasingly distanced from the hard core of the UP, and the president of the parliamentary group, Jaume Asens, from En Comú Podem, supported the decision of the Prime Minister. Diaz stated that Sánchez has “all the support”, given that millions of lives are at stake, while Asens stressed that Ukraine is being invaded and has “the right to defend itself”.
The Minister and General Secretary of UP, Ione Belarra, however, included the measure in “an escalation of warmongering”, that can lead to “an uncertain and very dangerous scenario”, and the parliamentary spokesman, Pablo Echenique, spoke of “error” and “inefficiency”. These supposedly anti-war and pacifist positions actually mean an indirect support to the invader, Russia, which has a huge military deployment, and harm the invaded, Ukraine, which is in military inferiority and has little chance of defending itself, despite the heroic resistance that its Army and the population they are offering to stop the aggression of Vladimir Putin.
Sanchez yes ruled out sending Spanish troops to the conflict, nor will NATO, even though it has reinforced the organization’s eastern flank to “ensure the defense of all allies” against Russia. The EU will not get involved militarily either, but has chosen to punish Moscow with harsh sanctions economic, diplomatic, media –banning Kremlin propaganda– and closing the airspace to Russian planes. These sanctions and the effects of the war will have a strong impact on the Spanish economy, specifically in exports, in the investments of Spanish companies in Russia and in tourism.
To combat the effects of the war, which will be “long”, Sánchez also announced a plan of economic and social measures, which includes energy measures, including the acceleration of renewable energies, and an income pact between businessmen and unions to fight inflation and regulate wages the inevitable deterioration of economic growth. For this, he asked for the support of the parties represented in Parliament, a unit to which the new stage that begins in the Popular Party should contribute. In the position of Spain in the face of the war, the PP has already offered support to the Government, including the shipment of weapons to Ukraine. It would be nice if the collaboration continued.