Pedro Sánchez highlights NATO's 'powerful message of unity and cohesion' at the Summit

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Pedro Sánchez highlights NATO's "powerful message of unity and cohesion" at the Summit

President's News - 2024.7.11

Washington D.C. (United States)

Pool OTAN y Pool Moncloa/Borja Puig de la Bellacasa

The President of the Government of Spain, Pedro Sánchez, participated in the second day of the NATO Summit, where he took part in the working sessions of the North Atlantic Council with the Asia-Pacific partners - Australia, New Zealand, the Republic of Korea and Japan - and the European Union, and in the meeting of the NATO-Ukraine Council, which was attended by President Volodymyr Zelenskyy.

NATO sent a strong message of unity and cohesion during the Summit, especially in its support for Ukraine. The Allies held a working session with President Zelenskyy, with whom they discussed all the steps taken by the North Atlantic Council to institutionalise long-term Allied support and irreversibly consolidate NATO membership.

This support package includes the initiative for the coordination of training and delivery of non-lethal military equipment, logistical assistance for such delivery and support for the development of the future Ukrainian force to ensure its interoperability with NATO forces.

Also the Financial Commitment to support Ukraine estimated at 40 billion euros per year, with military assistance to Ukraine counted as part of the commitment.

At the same time, a high-level special representative has been established to head the NATO Representation in Kyiv to serve as an interlocutor with the Ukrainian government and to reinforce coherence in NATO's lines of work, without, under any circumstances, contemplating the deployment of forces on the ground.

In addition, the Multi-Year Comprehensive Assistance Package (MY CAP) has been strengthened as one of the main elements of NATO assistance to Ukraine, channelling NATO's non-lethal military assistance.

The president of the Government of Spain expressed his support for all these measures and valued them as "a boost for peace in Europe", which undoubtedly "consolidate the process of Ukraine's accession to NATO".

At the end of this meeting, an event was held to highlight the security agreements that have been signed bilaterally with Ukraine, in which the countries of the Alliance that have already signed them with Kyiv took part, including Spain.

The president of the Government of Spain reaffirmed his total commitment to aid to Ukraine and, specifically, to strengthening the eastern flank. He highlighted Spain's contribution to the allied effort in this regard, pointing to the presence of national forces in three Battle Groups in Romania, Latvia and Slovakia, the latter led by Spain. A total of 1,945 Spanish troops are deployed in Alliance missions and operations.

Sánchez also called for special attention to be paid to the southern flank, but in a "coherent" way, to avoid the Alliance being accused of having "double standards" in the defence of the values and principles it stands for.

"In Ukraine as in Gaza, we must demand equally and as firmly that international law be respected. Our strength lies in our unity, but it must also lie in our coherence," the president demanded.

He therefore welcomed the adoption of the Action Plan for the South, one of the major objectives that Spain had set itself for this Summit, and which consolidates an increasingly broad and strengthened dialogue and cooperation with the southern partners. "Excellent news" - in the words of the president - which gives "more and better attention to a region that clearly deserves it".

Meeting with Asia-Pacific partners and the European Union

The second session of the Summit was attended by the EU and the Asia-Pacific partners of the Alliance - Japan, Australia, the Republic of Korea and New Zealand - consolidating a format that has been repeated at recent Summits.

At this meeting, shared security challenges and possible areas of cooperation were discussed. In this respect, the president of the Government of Spain pointed out that progress has been made towards the objective of "preserving the international rules-based order in the face of looming threats".

Moreover, the European Union is an essential and unique partner for the Alliance, as stated in NATO's Strategic Concept. Spain therefore supports the need to strengthen cooperation and complementarity between the Alliance and the EU, not only limited to Ukraine and resilience, but also to other areas of mutual interest.

On the fringes of this meeting, the president of the Government of Spain met with the Prime Minister of New Zealand, Christopher Luxon. The two leaders discussed the ties between the two countries in recent years. President Sánchez conveyed the government's willingness to continue promoting the bilateral relationship within the framework of the Strategic Partnership launched in 2022.