Spain might deploy fighters in Bulgaria to deter Russia from invading Ukraine. The Defense Minister, Margarita Robles, spoke this Thursday regarding the possibility of a next air deployment in Bulgaria in which Spain might also participate. “The position of Spain, as of NATO as a whole, is that the response be diplomatic and there is a de-escalation.”
This is how Robles responded following being asked regarding the international situation and the crisis arising from Ukraine’s intention to join NATO, statements made during a visit to a vaccination center in Corral de Calatrava.
In this line, the head of Defense has insisted that “the position of all countries is clear”, and is that Russia “can not tell any country what to do.”
“NATO will protect and defend the sovereignty of any country that wants to join“, he said before claiming once more that the answer be “exclusively diplomatic”.
In addition, the minister has advanced that the scheduled shipment of the Navy’s ‘Blas de Lezo’ frigate within a NATO mission is brought forward to next week and that it will take place “within 3 or 4 days”.
The news comes following the Maritime Action Ship (BAM) ‘Meteoro’ left Las Palmas de Gran Canaria on Monday for the Black Sea as leader of one of NATO’s permanent missions, in full tension with Russia over the situation in Ukraine.
As pointed out by Robles, Spain already participates in NATO as a “serious ally” as evidenced by the deployment that Latvia maintains with more than 350 people, in addition to its role in controlling airspace.
“Spain participates in all NATO deployments, and in this specific case, the departure of the frigate has been brought forward as agreed,” he added.
“Massive Sanctions”
On the other hand, the European Union has warned Russia once more this Thursday that it will respond with “massive sanctions” to a possible invasion of Ukraine, given the increase in the escalation of tensions and in the midst of intense contacts with the United States and NATO to deal with the Russian threat to European security.
“We hope the attack doesn’t happen, but if it does, we’re prepared.“, assured the president of the European Commission, Ursula von der Leyen, in her speech by videoconference at the Davos economic forum.
“We want this dialogue, we want conflicts to be resolved in the bodies formed for this purpose. But if the situation deteriorates, if there are more attacks on Ukraine’s territorial integrity, we will respond with massive economic and financial sanctions.”
“Old Fashioned” Spheres of Influence
Along the same lines, the High Representative of the EU for Foreign Policy, Josep Borrell, has expressed himself, who in a joint press conference with the Canadian Foreign Minister, Mélanie Joly, has reiterated that the bloc rejects the Russian “provocations” in Ukraine and the Kremlin’s attempt to “redesign” the European security order and establish “old-fashioned” spheres of influence.
After the president of the United States, Joe Biden, said that foresees Russian movements in Ukraine and that the response of Washington and its Atlantic partners will depend on the type of challenge that Moscow raises, opening the door to a minor reaction if it is a “minor incursion”, Borrell has avoided any controversy and has reiterated that the “threat” that Russia represents is serious and work is being done to dissuade it.
“A threat is a threat. With 140,000 soldiers on the border, this can be used in many ways,” said the head of community diplomacy, without wanting to go into details regarding the different types of response to the crisis in Ukraine.
