«The position of the Spain can be summed up in a few words: no to war.” The president of the Spanish government declared it Pedro Sanchez in an institutional statement from Palazzo della Moncloa, in the aftermath of the US president’s threats Donald Trump to stop the commercial relations with Madrid after the refusal to authorize the use of military bases of Morón and Rota, in Andalusia, in the Israeli-US operation against Iran.
«The question is whether we are on the side of international legality and peace”, added Sanchez, asking for “one diplomatic and political solution” to conflicts in Middle East.
«We cannot play Russian roulette with the fate of the world»
The Spanish Prime Minister has issued a strong warning about the possible escalation of the conflict. «Great wars often break out due to a chain of responses that get out of hand, however calculation errors, technical failures or unexpected events. We must learn from history. We cannot play Russian roulette with the fate of millions of people,” he said.
Sanchez then asked the powers involved in the conflict to «immediately cease hostilities and focus on dialogue and diplomacy”.
The comparison with the war in Iraq
In his speech the socialist leader also recalled the war in Iraq in 2003, arguing that it “led to a more insecure world and a worse life.” According to Sanchez, that conflict provoked greater international instability, increase in jihadist terrorism and growth in energy prices.
«Twenty-three years ago the United States dragged us into a war to eliminate Saddam Hussein’s weapons of mass destruction. Actually produced the opposite effect,” he said.
Starmer: «We have learned the lessons of Iraq»
Even the British Prime Minister Keir Starmer took the stand, stating that the UK is not involved in attacks on Iran. «We have learned the lesson of war in Iraq,” he declared during an event with the Pakistani and Palestinian communities in the context of the celebrations of Ramadan, emphasizing the need for peace, justice and security in the Middle East.
Tension between Spain and Germany
The Spanish Foreign Minister José Manuel Albares also expressed surprised by Germany’s lack of solidarity after Trump’s criticism of Spain. The reference is to the Chancellor’s words Friedrich Merz, who underlined how Madrid is the only Born country that does not want to increase the military spending at 5% of GDP.
The EU supports Madrid
The President of the European Council Antonio Costa expressed full support for Spain. «I just spoke to the president Sanchez to express the full EU solidarity. The Union will always ensure the protection of the interests of its Member States and reaffirms its commitment to international law and the rules-based order,” he wrote in