Spain will fulfill its commitment to spend 2% of its total GDP on defense, the country’s prime minister said on Wednesday.
“I promise that we are ready to comply; we will do it,” Pedro Sanchez said at a news conference alongside his Finnish counterpart Petteri Orpo in Helsinki.
His comments come as the Spanish government’s left-wing backers pledge to block military spending increases.
On Tuesday, Sanchez met with the leader of his left-wing coalition partner, Yolanda Diaz, assuring that any increase in defense spending will not come at the expense of social programs.
From Helsinki, Sanchez also argued that the EU should subsidize defense spending, as European security is a “common good” that requires “common resources.”
“Maybe there are Finnish people saying, ‘Oh, someeone comes from the South and they want subsidies,’ but I’m not asking for subsidies for countries in the south of Europe. My proposal is that these subsidies go to countries that are closer to the Russian border,” Sanchez said. “They need to feel the solidarity of the EU.”
Finland accounts for around half of the EU’s border with Russia.
Sanchez also called the Ukraine-US ceasefire proposal “positive news” but stressed the need for the EU to take part in peace negotiations.
“This is an existential issue for Europe. Ukrainian security and European security are two sides of the same coin,” he said. “Our goal is simple: We need a fair and lasting peace based on international law and security guarantees.”
On Thursday, Sanchez will meet with the leaders of all Spain’s political groups, except for the far-right party Vox, to discuss Spain’s approach to Ukraine and defense following a series of high-profile meetings with allied leaders.
AA