Spanish Foreign Minister José Manuel Albares spoke on Wednesday before US Secretary of State Antony Blinken. No matter how long Spain’s “total” support for Ukraine lasts.
At a joint press conference after the meeting in Washington, both foreign officials were questioned about the alleged indifference of some southern European countries when it came to supporting the Ukrainian government. “He wanted to correct this misconception “We are pleased with our support to Ukraine, which was completed from day one and will continue as long as necessary,” the Spanish minister replied.
Albares said that Spain condemned the Russian invasion of Ukraine “from the first minute” and has since supported ten sanctions packages European Union against Russia. He also said that he supports the International Criminal Court’s investigation into war crimes committed by Russian soldiers, and that he has sent Judicial Police personnel to collect evidence at the crime scene. In addition, Ukraine has benefited from the largest humanitarian aid package Spain has ever sent to a single country and received weapons such as leopard tanks and anti-aircraft batteries from the Spanish Army.
Albares also highlighted that Spain has accepted 170,000 Ukrainian refugees with a “very special” immigration status, and said his government is willing to continue to host more people “if the humanitarian disaster continues”. Likewise, the minister stressed that definitive assistance to Ukraine does not mean that Spain has forgotten the “needs” of its partners in Latin America and Africa, to which it has promised to continue helping.
on his behalf Blinken said he did not share the “premise” that Madrid did not adequately support Kiev., because, according to him, “Spain has been unwavering in its support for Ukraine’s sovereignty and territorial integrity”. “He made that very clear, not just by what he said, but also by what he did,” said the head of US diplomacy. The secretary praised Spain for its “considerable humanitarian support” and thanked Spain for its “generosity” for supporting the Ukrainian people by welcoming refugees from that country. So, from day one, we saw an extraordinary sense of solidarity and a strong sense of unity to support and defend Ukraine.”
Blinken also accused Russia of using the war-induced food crisis as a weapon, especially affecting the so-called “global south” countries, but stressed that Spain, the United States and other nations are working to stop the rise in food. meal prices. “We are deeply grateful for Spain’s commitment and leadership in Ukraine, but at the same time we are together and focused on a wide variety of issues that concern people around the world,” the minister said.