Spanish
The Spanish Minister of Defense, Margarita Robles, stated this Monday that the European Union (EU) must have a "leadership" role in the peace plan for Ukraine, and remain committed to a "just and lasting" peace.
"All countries have highlighted the importance of continuing to support Ukraine at this time of the peace plan negotiations," Robles told the press after participating in an EU Defense Ministers Council.
He referred to the European Union having "leadership and support" for the peace plan whose negotiations are being instigated by the United States with Russia and Ukraine separately. "Meanwhile, all countries, Spain included, we are going to remain fully committed to that support for Ukraine," he indicated, given that only "a just and lasting peace" will be acceptable, the one "that the Ukrainians want."
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On the other hand, regarding cooperation with other countries to acquire military equipment, Robles said that Spain "will be in five different capacities" and that "there is a capacity that is very important to us, which is maritime domain." Robles recalled that Spain will allocate 215 million euros of the 1,000 that the European Union will provide to Ukraine through the SAFE program, focused on giving loans to member states so that they make joint purchases from the military industry. He specified that, in addition, Spain will allocate another 100 million euros to NATO's PURL initiative so that allies can jointly purchase weapons from the United States for Kyiv. Likewise, Robles specified that, of the amount from SAFE, more than 700 million euros will go to programs related to Spanish Defense, and added that Spain will work with countries like Portugal and Latvia in the acquisition of armored vehicles, and that it is also interested in radars or cyber defense. "The important thing is that it is a mechanism that facilitates the joint work between the countries," he commented. The European Commission confirmed this Monday that it has received the investment plans from the 19 member states that had expressed interest in participating in the loan program to be able to make joint military purchases (SAFE), and that 15 of them have included in their plans aid for Ukraine. SAFE contemplates loans of 150 billion euros so that countries can make joint acquisitions, and of them the Commission assigned Spain 1 billion at the beginning of September.One of the conditions for joint projects to be financed with SAFE is that 65% of each weapons system be manufactured in Europe.
Robles also expressed concern about hybrid attacks, which can range from cyber threats to disinformation or sabotage, and stated that "Russia is using those hybrid threats."
