Verbal Escalation Between Donald Trump and Pedro Sánchez Over the War in the Middle East
“No to war!” Spanish Socialist Prime Minister Pedro Sánchez responded on Wednesday to Donald Trump, following criticism from the American president who reproached Spain for refusing to allow the United States to use military bases located in Andalusia for its war against Iran.
“We oppose this disaster,” Pedro Sánchez continued in a speech, arguing that this position was shared by “many other governments” and “millions of citizens who, across Europe, North America and the Middle East, are not asking for more war or more uncertainty tomorrow.”
“We will not be complicit in something that is bad for the world and that is also contrary to our values and our interests, simply out of fear of reprisals,” he added, a direct reference to the threats expressed by Donald Trump on Tuesday.
The day before, the American president had threatened to “cease all trade with Spain,” reproaching it for refusing to let the United States use two American bases located in Andalusia, in southern Spain, the naval base of Rota and the air base of Morón, stemming from an agreement signed between Washington and Madrid in 1953 under Franco.
For several months, Donald Trump has also criticized Spain for not increasing its military spending to 5 percent of GDP, in line with NATO’s new target pushed by Washington. “Spain has been terrible” and “very, very uncooperative,” he said on Tuesday.
On Wednesday, Pedro Sánchez, in his televised address, lamented that the objectives of Washington and Israel “are not clear” regarding Iran. “What we do know, however, is that a more just international order will not emerge from this,” he regretted, deeming it “unacceptable” that “leaders (…) use the smokescreen of war to conceal their failure.”
The Spanish Prime Minister once again called for “the cessation of hostilities and a diplomatic resolution” among all the powers involved.
Editorial team/le7tv
