Sánchez opens the door to sending Spanish troops to Ukraine on a peacekeeping mission

MadridPedro Sánchez has opened the door to sending Spanish troops to Ukraine on a peacekeeping mission. The Spanish Prime Minister announced this Tuesday, after the Paris summit of the so-called Coalition of Volunteers, that next week he will begin a round of talks with parliamentary groups in Congress to discuss this scenario. Sánchez conditioned the deployment of Spanish military personnel on the arrival of a ceasefire with Russia. "Spain must be part of the solution," he argued at a press conference, where he expressed his hope that 2026 will be "the year that ends this war." "It is a moment of hope and opportunity," he emphasized.

At Tuesday's meeting, which caused Sánchez to be absent from the celebration of the Military Easter in MadridThe 35 countries that are part of this alliance with Ukraine have made progress in finalizing a plan on "how to structure and deploy" a "security guarantee framework" to ensure a successful peace agreement. "We will have to provide support and actively participate," said the Spanish president, who justified the need to deploy troops after the ceasefire to "protect the civilian population" and prevent renewed fighting. "We are prepared, as we have done in other parts of the world, to consolidate peace with the presence of our armed forces. Why shouldn't we do the same in Europe?" asked Sánchez, who emphasized the "importance" of Spain, as a "major European country" that defends multilateralism, being present. However, the issue of military deployment is a delicate debate for the left wing of the PSOE – within the government itself is the Sumar coalition – and, in the case of the PP, Sánchez is proposing to discuss it at a time when the relationship between the Socialists and Alberto Núñez Feijóo's party is almost nonexistent and at one of its lowest points. Sánchez has indicated that he cannot yet provide figures or further details to the parliamentary groups because the technical teams of the Coalition of Volunteers are still working on the design of this guarantee plan. "It is still being defined," he said. For the moment, the Spanish president will convey this general proposal to the rest of the parliamentary groups. Separately, Sánchez has indicated that he also intends to help Ukraine with reconstruction using economic resources mobilized through the European Union and also "with whomever we can provide bilaterally." During Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky's last visit to Spain less than two months ago, the Spanish Prime Minister announced €615 million in military aid to Ukraine and another €200 million for reconstruction.

The deployment of troops on a peacekeeping mission is, according to Sánchez, a coherent move that aligns with Spain's position on Ukraine from the outset. "One of unwavering, resounding, and absolute support," the Spanish president asserted. This commitment "is part of a much broader geopolitical vision," Sánchez emphasized, linking support for Ukraine to "an unequivocal commitment to Europe" as well as to an "international order based on rules" and "the observance of fair rules, not the law of the jungle."

Criticism of Trump

This geopolitical vision championed by Sánchez includes the rejection of Donald Trump's attack on Venezuela. For the first time since the operation, the Spanish president spoke at a press conference—until now he had only done so through text messages—against a "very dangerous precedent that pushes the world toward a future of uncertainty and insecurity" reminiscent of "past times." "Spain will not be complicit in this outrage," he warned, adding that he will dedicate "all resources to strengthening multilateralism, which is being weakened." As with Ukraine, Sánchez affirmed that in Venezuela, too, "international law and the territorial integrity of nations" cannot be violated. In Trump's case, the Spanish president labeled the move "illegal," stating that it appears to be aimed at "changing the government of a country in order to seize its natural resources." In this regard, the Spanish president has offered to mediate "to ensure a transition that culminates in fair elections."