The Minister for Foreign Affairs, European Union and Cooperation, José Manuel Albares, defended on Monday, at the European Union Foreign Affairs Council meeting held in Brussels, the need to approve the twentieth package of sanctions against Russia and for the €90 billion loan agreed in December to be made effective so that the resources reach Ukraine as soon as possible.
Albares called on European partners for unity and solidarity because, he said, ‘in addition to helping Ukraine win this war, above all we must help it win peace, so that Ukraine can be a democratic country in the European family and ensure that this aggression is the last aggression it suffers’.
The Russian aggression against Ukraine is now entering its fifth year, in a very harsh winter, with constant Russian bombing of cities and the destruction of 75% of Ukraine's energy capacity, further exacerbating the suffering of the civilian population. In this context, and in view of Putin's delaying tactics, as he continues to reject peace proposals, Spain advocates greater pressure on Russia and continued support for Ukraine to defend itself in this unjust war.
Solidarity with Ukraine
‘Our position,’ the minister reiterated, ‘is one of solidarity with the Ukrainian people, who are suffering day and night from Russia's criminal attacks, as we have seen this weekend.’ The minister insisted that Spain will continue to stand with the Ukrainian people and President Zelensky's Government for as long as necessary.
‘We have done so very recently with the delivery of a package of generators that will provide light and electricity to 14,000 people in Ukraine and alleviate these indiscriminate attacks against the civilian population — which are war crimes — and also with the delivery of military equipment for Ukraine's air defence.’ In 2025, Spain was the eighth largest contributor of military aid and the fourth largest contributor of training.
The Gaza Board of Peace
During the Council meeting, ministers also discussed the situation in Gaza, where a peace agreement is not being upheld and a ceasefire is being systematically violated. ‘We continue to see deaths in Gaza on a very frequent basis, and humanitarian aid is trickling in when it should be pouring in,’ said Albares.
That is why Spain has asked the European Union to speak out clearly and ‘take action on the matter, both on the slow progress of a peace agreement that is not bearing fruit and on the slow but inexorable annexation of Palestinian land in the West Bank — with unacceptable measures such as the registration of Palestinian land in Israeli property registers — and Israel's attempt to economically suffocate the Palestinian Authority by withholding taxes.‘
Spain maintains a Civil Guard contingent within the European Union mission in Rafah to allow pedestrians to cross. We are, in fact, the leading bilateral donor to the Palestinian budget, with €50 million, and, as the minister explained, we hope that ‘those who also want peace will do the same and finally take the necessary measures to allow a massive influx of humanitarian aid and for the Palestinian Authority to gradually take charge of Gaza’.
The ministers also met with the High Representative of the Board of Peace, in which Spain does not participate, among other reasons because the Palestinian National Authority is not even invited, so it is not considered useful for advancing the two-State solution. ‘We consider it a serious mistake that the European Commission was present at the last meeting on 19 February. This is not the position of the European Union, which is that of a two-State solution, and therefore it should not have attended,’ Albares said.
Steps in Venezuela
At Spain's request, the Council added a point on Venezuela to the discussions. The general amnesty voted unanimously is a measure that our country had been requesting for a long time. ‘The European Union cannot remain outside the dialogue that the United States, but also Spain, are promoting.’ For this reason, the minister has requested that the process of lifting individual sanctions against Delcy Rodríguez, the current president of Venezuela, be initiated, a decision for which, he says, he has found good agreement among the partners.
Albares has called for a clear signal to be sent that this is the right path to take. The minister has also encouraged the Venezuelan Government to continue taking further steps and to see the amnesty through to its ultimate consequences, to create the conditions for the return of exiles and to continue moving towards the inclusive, peaceful and democratic solution that Spain has been promoting as the only solution for the sister nation of Venezuela.
Publication of the Gibraltar Agreement
In his remarks to the media upon arrival at the Council, the minister also reported that the European Commission will publish the legal text of the agreement on Gibraltar this week.
All the points of this agreement are known. Following the political agreement, the minister personally informed both the representatives of the Campo de Gibraltar — all its mayors, the Regional Government of Andalusia, the Provincial Council — and the socio-economic actors. He also reported on the Agreement in a monographic plenary session in Congress in October, with transparency and ongoing communication on the matter.
For images of the event, click here.
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