The Minister of Foreign Affairs, European Union and Cooperation, Jose Manuel Albaresexplained that the Government commitment to “firmness” against Russia after its attack on Ukraine and has announced that the European countries are now preparing a package of compensatory measures for the most affected sectors, which the European Commission will soon communicate.
“In the same way that relaunch funds were agreed upon in the face of the epidemic, there will be an answer to the problems arising from the sanctions against Russia”, he explained in an interview this Sunday published in ‘La Vanguardia’, where he has literally defended that Europe has the economic muscle to win this stake.
Although he has warned that it is unpredictable how the situation will evolve, for him it is clear that the objective of the Russian president, Vladimir Putin, is the total domination of Ukraine: “He wants to take Kiev and depose the legitimate governmenta democratically elected government”.
He explained that on Friday, the Minister of Foreign Affairs of Ukraine, Dmytro Kulebaconnected with the Foreign Affairs Council of the European Union, meeting in Brussels, and “in a very dramatic background conveyed the will of his government resist without giving up“.
“The Ukrainian government is not going to leave Kiev: they have mobilized the population and there is going to be resistance. Ukraine is the second largest country in Europe and it is not easy to control that country,” she added, assuring that Europe and transatlantic allies are united and will give full support to Ukraine.
For the minister, “it will be very difficult for Putin finance this war and sustain it“, and has reaffirmed that the Government intends to exclude Russia from the SWIFT international payment platform, although asked if all European countries are willing to do so, he has said that he cannot speak on their behalf.
Asked if the reaction of the European countries has been cohesive and homogeneous, he argued that there is unity and that unprecedented sanctions have been adopted “which are a missile to the heart of the leadership of the Russian regime“, and has advocated waiting to see the consequences of these sanctions.
He also recalled that on Saturday “the first package of 20 tons of humanitarian aid“and that the government will also provide defensive material that Ukraine has demanded, from helmets to bulletproof vests.
Asked if the Government will consider the expulsion of the Russian ambassador in Madrid, Yuri Korchagin, he has answered verbatim that Spain does not exclude any measure and that Russia “must return to the dialogue table“.
“Russia can and should explain at a diplomatic table what its doubts are about the European security scheme. We have to talk. Neither the European Union nor NATO have any hidden agendas or hidden interests,” she argued.
Although he recalled that Russia is one of Europe’s major oil and gas suppliers, he explained that Spain does not depend on Russia because its largest gas supplier is Algeria, followed by the United States, countries with which he assures that the Government has good relationship, so “supply is guaranteed“.
He explained that just as it happened with the crisis in Afghanistan, the Government will offer its services to Ukraine and the Ukrainians who are in Spanish territory, in addition to analyzing “with the rest of the European partners the situation of a foreseeable wave of refugees“.
Asked by the government unit about the attack on Ukraine, he replied: “The cohesion of the Council of Ministers is beyond any doubt. Different ministers and ministers have spoken out against the illegal, aggressive, unjust, unjustified action of the Russian Federation. Within the government there is an important unity.”
Source: Lasexta
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