Helsinki, Mar 12 (EFE).- Spanish Prime Minister Pedro Sánchez Wednesday called for direct European Union subsidies for defense spending but clarified that the proposal is intended for Baltic and Nordic nations near Russia’s border, not for southern countries like Spain.
Addressing a press conference in Helsinki alongside Finnish Prime Minister Petteri Orpo in Helsinki, Sánchez defended the need for these subsidies, reiterating a request he made at last week’s extraordinary European Council meeting in Brussels.
While he initially vowed to push for EU aid in the form of direct subsidies rather than just loans, he stressed in Finland that priority should be given to northern European countries.
Anticipating skepticism from Finns about a southern European leader advocating subsidies, Sánchez made his stance clear. “I am not asking for subsidies for the southern countries, for Spain. I am asking for subsidies for the eastern countries of Europe.”
Drawing a parallel to his stance during the pandemic, when he sought subsidies for the hardest-hit nations, Sánchez argued that the EU should now direct its solidarity toward the Baltic and Nordic states.
“They need to feel the solidarity of the European Union as a whole. This is my proposal,” he said.
Sánchez backed increased cooperation with the European Investment Bank to boost security spending and called for more flexible fiscal rules to accommodate defense investments.
He underlined the bloc’s collective responsibility and highlighted the strategic significance of Finland’s border with Russia, which s for over half of the EU’s total shared frontier with the country.
Sánchez recalled that the border is also the border of the EU-27.
“Their security is our security; their defense is our defense,” he stressed, warning that any threat to an EU member is a threat to the entire bloc.
He reaffirmed Spain’s commitment to reaching NATO’s 2 percent GDP defense spending target by 2029, reiterating that his government is prepared to meet the goal, though he did not provide a revised timeline.
“We are prepared to fulfill our commitment to invest 2 percent of GDP,” he said, noting that he will explain to Spanish citizens how he intends to achieve that goal.
He emphasized the need for all countries to not only spend more on security but ensure smarter, more efficient spending based on real threats, including those from the south.
While awaiting Russia’s response to the proposal for a 30-day provisional ceasefire in the war in Ukraine, Sánchez affirmed that the EU is prepared to play its part in the negotiations to achieve a just and lasting peace.
Meanwhile, he reiterated the need to continue maintaining firm for Ukraine, as he assured Spain continues and will continue to do. EFE
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