2023-07-18 13:30:00
WAR IN UKRAINE – The head of the Spanish government, Pedro Sánchez took advantage of his presence last week at the NATO summit in Vilnius (Lithuania) to confirm the dispatch of soldiers to Slovakia. “Spain, as a committed member [de l’Alliance atlantique]announces the deployment of Spanish forces in Slovakia to strengthen the eastern front, and we will strengthen our presence in Romania with more troops”said the Pedro Sánchez, upon his arrival in Vilnius on Tuesday July 11, accompanied by the Ministers of Foreign Affairs and Defense, José Manuel Albares and Margarita Robles.
The figure of 800 Spanish soldiers is mentioned in order to strengthen NATO positions in a country which shares a hundred kilometers of border with Ukraine, in the immediate vicinity of the conflict.
Battalion in Slovakia and reinforcements in Romania
This is a new mission. Until now, Spain was present in countries such as Romania, Lithuania and Latvia, without benefiting from the leadership of the NATO combat group, then commanded by the Czech Republic (Czech Republic).
Some 600 Spanish soldiers will be sent to reinforce these forces which, originally, were to include 2,100 soldiers from the Czech Republic, Germany, the Netherlands, Poland, Slovakia, Slovenia and the United States. United.
In addition, Spain will support the multinational battalion stationed in Romania and piloted by France, with approximately 200 additional soldiers. It is not known from which units these new forces will come. Their final deployment will take place in 2024.
Spain has pledged to increase its defense spending to 2% of GDP by 2029. But it remains one of the countries with the lowest military budget. This element contrasts with the manifestly warmongering orientations of the Spanish government Pedro Sánchez.
A commitment “as long as it takes”
The Socialist Prime Minister wants Spain to participate in all NATO missions in the context of the war in Ukraine. During his meeting with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky, he pledged to support Ukraine “as long as it takes” to support Ukraine,”Whatever the cost”. Unsurprisingly, Sánchez supports Ukraine’s bid to become a NATO member.
Spain has already deployed troops on the eastern flank of the conflict, closest to Russia. It contributes to the eAP (enhanced Air Policing), that is to the reinforcement air police, in Bulgaria and Romania with combat aircraft. In addition to air resources, the Spanish Air Force deploys some 130 soldiers dedicated to maintenance, logistics, surveillance and detachment control tasks.
In addition, a radar from the Mobile Air Traffic Control Group (GRUMOCA) has been deployed in Romania, with around forty soldiers responsible for keeping the equipment operational. Still in Romania, Pedro Sánchez also predicted that Spain would “reinforce the contingent with a greater number of troops”.
In Latvia, Spain provides some 450 soldiers and its most advanced technological means, such as the Leopard 2 E battle tanks and the Pizarro infantry fighting vehicles (IFVs). Never before had this country deployed so many forces and equipment for this type of mission.
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