Spain will not participate in the international coalition to protect maritime traffic in the Red Sea against attacks by Yemen’s Houthi rebels, but will not oppose the participation of other European countries in a specific mission. After several days of delay and obvious embarrassment, Madrid is opposed to an expansion of the mission of the European operation Atalanta, which has been fighting piracy in the Indian Ocean since 2008.
1 min
With our correspondent in Madrid, Francois Musseau
Officially, the government of Pedro Sánchez has not explained the reasons why his country refuses to participate in the new military coalition in the Red Sea, recently announced by the United States, and which would be composed of ten countries, including Spain . A country which, let us remember, is already part of the Atalante mission with its frigate Victoria.
If Madrid does not want to follow up on the American initiative, it is for two reasons. The first is that the Sanchez government very little appreciated being presented with a fait accompli by the American Department of Defense. Secondly and above all, because the left-wing government is not at all aligned with American positions regarding the conflict in Israel and Gaza.
Pedro Sánchez himself is very critical of the Israeli bombings, position which earned him the rantings of the Hebrew State. And its vice-president Yolanda Diaz, a member of the radical left-wing Sumar group, is squarely opposed to Western positions and has openly taken sides in favor of the Palestinian cause.
Condenar los atentados terroristas de Hamás y, al mismo tiempo, condenar la muerte de civilianes palestinos ne es una cuestión de partidos ni de ideologías. Is human.
A quienes se oponen a todo et do do el tiempo, no les pido que estén avec le Gobierno, les pido que estén avec les… pic.twitter.com/i3drJi7qgl
— Pedro Sánchez (@sanchezcastejon) November 26, 2023
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