This was stated this morning by Spanish President Pedro Sánchez at the Moncloa Palace. The president analyzed the crisis in the Middle East, clarified his government’s position, and affirmed:
“We will not be complicit in something that is bad for the world and that is also contrary to our values and interests.”
These are some of the main points of his speech. (Full text at the end of this article)
“The Spanish government’s position on this situation is clear and consistent. It is the same position we have maintained in Ukraine and also in Gaza. First, no to the breakdown of international law that protects us all, especially the most defenseless, the civilian population. Secondly, no to the assumption that the world can only solve its problems through conflict and bombs. And finally, no to repeating the mistakes of the past. In short, the Spanish government’s position can be summed up in four words: no to war.”
“The war in Iran will not lead to a more just international order, nor will it lead to higher wages, better public services, or a healthier environment. (…) What we can foresee at the moment is more economic uncertainty, rising oil and gas prices. That is why Spain is against this disaster, because we understand that governments are here to improve people’s lives (…). And it is absolutely unacceptable that those leaders who are incapable of fulfilling this task use the smoke of war to hide their failure and, in passing, line the pockets of a few, the usual suspects. The only ones who win when the world stops building hospitals to build missiles.”
“We will collaborate, as we have always done, with all the countries in the region that advocate for peace and compliance with international law, which are two sides of the same coin. (…) And we will continue to work to achieve a just and lasting peace in Ukraine and Palestine, two places that deserve not to be forgotten.
“Finally, the government will continue to demand a cessation of hostilities and a diplomatic resolution to this war. And I want to make this clear, because yes, the right word is demand. Because Spain is a full member of the European Union, NATO, and the international community. And because this crisis also affects us, Europeans and, consequently, Spaniards. (…) I have said it many times and I repeat it now: you cannot respond to one illegality with another, because that is how the great disasters of humanity begin.
“We must learn from history and we cannot play Russian roulette with the fate of millions of people. The powers involved in this conflict must immediately cease hostilities and commit to dialogue and diplomacy. And the rest of us must act consistently, defending now the same values that we defend when we talk about Ukraine, Gaza, Venezuela, or Greenland. Because the question is not whether or not we are in favor of the ayatollahs. No one is. Certainly not the Spanish people, and of course not the Spanish government either. The question, rather, is whether or not we are on the side of international law and, therefore, of peace.
“We repudiate the Iranian regime that represses and viciously kills its citizens, particularly women. But at the same time, we reject this conflict and call for a diplomatic and political solution. Some will accuse us of being naive for doing so, but what is naive is to think that violence is the solution. It is naive to believe that democracies or respect between nations spring from ruins. Or to think that blind and servile obedience is a form of leadership. On the contrary, I believe that this position is not naive at all, it is consistent, and therefore we will not be complicit in something that is bad for the world and that is also contrary to our values and interests, simply out of fear of reprisals from some.
Some will say that we are alone in this hope, but that is not true either. The Spanish government stands with those it must stand with. It stands with the values that our parents and grandparents enshrined in our Constitution. Spain stands with the founding principles of the European Union. It stands with the United Nations Charter. It stands with international law and therefore stands with peace and peaceful coexistence between countries. We also stand (…) with millions of citizens who are not asking for more war or more uncertainty tomorrow, but for more peace and more prosperity. Because the former only benefits a few, and the latter benefits us all.”
