Despite the fact that NATO has opened itself up to each ally sending heavy and offensive material before the new phase of the war in Eastern Europe begins, Spanish Foreign Minister Jose Manuel Albares has ruled out sending heavy material to Ukraine, claiming that there is currently no coordinated action in NATO.
Although the minister has stated that Spain supports all EU and NATO support measures for Kyiv, he has also stated that sending tanks and planes is not an option.
“We make decisions in concert and that is not on the table. Spain is already helping with military material, humanitarian aid, sanctions and political support,” assured the Foreign Minister when asked directly if Spain will send this type of military material.
These remarks were made on the sidelines of a conference of alliance ministers in Brussels, when NATO for the first time abolished the distinction between offensive and defensive military equipment, paving the way for battle tanks and other heavy equipment to be sent to Kyiv.
Albares met with Ukrainian Minister Dmytro Kuleba at NATO headquarters, promising that Spain will do everything possible today to help Ukraine “survive.”
He stated that Spain supports all steps to ensure that Kyiv maintains control of the region and that its army can defend the democratically elected government.
Following Kuleba’s declaration that there are no longer any distinctions between offensive and defensive weapons because they are all used against an aggressor and are defensive by definition, Albares backed up Kuleba’s assertion, stating that “all military material in Vladimir Putin’s Army is offensive, and all military equipment in the hands of the Ukrainian Army is defensive.”
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