The invasion of Ukraine by Russia has put the West and Europe to the test, and Spain has been at the forefront of the wave of solidarity with the invaded country. Despite the discrepancies within the Government over military issues, such as the NATO summit, the increase in military spending, or the shipment of weapons to Ukraine, the Defense Minister, Margarita Robles (León, 1956), has the firm determination to continue with all those commitments.
Putin has raised the threat. Is the war going to last?
Everything points to yes. Putin has not fulfilled his objective and that makes the situation more dangerous, because he is not going to admit any kind of defeat. The scenario is very worrying.
And does the nuclear threat have signs of being real?
With characters like Putin, in whom his mental alterations are evident, you can never know, and although at this moment there are no objective signs to say that he is going to use nuclear warheads, it is not a scenario that can be ruled out.
Spain has shown solidarity with Ukraine but a certain weariness is evident. Is a move against it possible?
There is always a risk that as time passes people lose solidarity. But we are playing a lot. We know that the winter is going to be hard, but solidarity with Ukraine cannot wane. That Putin can tell the world what is done and what is not is not acceptable. I am convinced that the Europeans will continue to support Ukraine.
Do you think that European unity is not in danger?
It is one of Putin's great defeats. He thought that he could put wedges in the EU and in NATO, and it has not been like that. If he stopped supporting Ukraine, he would lose out in Europe, that's why he doesn't see unity being broken. We want to reach a ceasefire, but today that is not possible. Putin does not pay attention to those who ask him to de-escalate, that is why there is no possibility of a peace scenario.
Can Meloni's triumph break European unity?
I hope not. Italians have voted freely. It is an option that can be worrying but we are going to give a margin. We have a lot at stake for the new Italian government to create fissures in that unity.
Spain has helped Ukraine, but they ask for more weapons.
From the beginning, Spain has contributed both humanitarian material and weapons for legitimate defense. Spain is a serious and responsible country that complies. And we are going to maintain that commitment, let no one have the slightest doubt.
This has caused internal problems in the Government. Doesn't it damage the image of Spain?
In the EU and in NATO they see Spain as a serious, rigorous and committed country. They are more internal issues than from the international point of view. Beyond internal debates, which there may be, Spain's commitment to peace is very important.
Is it possible for partners to coexist and meet commitments?
We're making it. Spain, within the EU and NATO, is a benchmark partner. We are in a coalition government in which there is a political formation that does not have those positions, but the State policies in foreign affairs, security and defense are set by the President of the Government, and he has been very clear: Our commitment to NATO is total. We are going to reach 2% of military spending in 2029, because there is one thing that seems very important to me: investing in defense is investing in peace, in freedom, in democratic values and in the defense industry, which creates jobs.
How would you rate the coalition government experience?
This Government, as a whole, has had to live through very difficult, unpredictable situations: the pandemic, the war, and we are doing everything possible to support the most vulnerable, and we will continue like this. The scenario is difficult, there is a lot of uncertainty, and we all have to do our best.
Spain is training Ukrainian soldiers. A Putin collaborator assured that this can expand the conflict zone. Are you worried?
We are not going to accept any threat to Putin. His tone is absolutely unacceptable. There are soldiers in Spain receiving training for their legitimate defense, and we cannot forget who initiated the invasion: Russia.
Sánchez announced at the NATO summit the agreement to increase the Rota base. When will the destroyers arrive?
Negotiations are going well, but there is no date yet. There will be something more firm in the middle of next year. The important thing is the will to continue working together for peace.
Apart from Ukraine, Spain is on numerous missions abroad. Why is Spain still in Mali, when its partners are leaving?
Spain is in Mali with an EU mission. There are countries that are leaving Mali and going to countries like Niger. Spain bets on the southern flank. We cannot ignore the Sahel. We believe that supporting Mali and being there in training tasks is difficult and complicated, but the EU cannot leave the Sahel because it would leave the field open to Russia, which is already through Wagner's mercenaries, but also to jihadism, with what that would entail. We have what is happening in Iran. Go ahead my support for Iranian women. We cannot be indifferent to what happens in other parts of the world.
It is not a secret that Sánchez hardly speaks with Feijóo. How is his relationship with the PP in defense matters?
I have always thought that foreign and defense policy have to be state policies. I see parliamentary interventions that, instead of supporting Spain, of being proud of the NATO summit, of the work carried out by our armed forces, are always trying to use it as an instrument of criticism of the Government. I would tell the PP that not everything goes in matters of State. When unity is our main force against Putin, wanting to hold a debate on the shipment of weapons by Spain is unacceptable and shows that the PP lacks a sense of state, as in the General Council of the Judiciary.
Do you think that all the blame for the non-renewal of the CGPJ belongs to the PP?
I do not understand how we have been able to reach this situation with the CGPJ. Pablo Casado boasted of blocking his renewal. They looked for all kinds of excuses and pretexts. When Feijóo arrived, he said that he was a statesman and that is why the Council was going to be renewed immediately. Months have passed and the renewal has not occurred. It's very serious. He shows that the PP is using an institution as important as the Council to violate the Constitution for purposes that I don't know what they are, but that they are causing great damage to the Judiciary. No one who aspires to govern can be doing what the PP is doing.
Not even the European commissioner could mediate between PSOE and PP.
I am concerned that the PP has to wait for a commissioner to come to want to speak, and there the PP is a whole, first Casado and then Feijóo, which puts all kinds of obstacles and inconveniences.
Do you think Lesmes is going to resign?
I don't really understand deferred resignations: either you resign or you don't.
With the Pegasus case, it was learned that 18 pro-independence leaders were controlled from the CNI, but the question remains as to who infected the rest's cell phones.
The CNI, by law, cannot explain what it does, and that makes it defenseless against those who can freely accuse and say what they want. The actions carried out by the CNI were always carried out with judicial authorization and only and exclusively to the people that the director of the CNI said in the Secrets Commission. Regarding the rest of the interventions, whether there have been or not, I don't know, just as I don't know who infected my mobile.
