Europe is considering alternatives to NATO due to the US position - Spanish Foreign Ministry
Kyiv • UNN
The Spanish Foreign Minister called on the EU to create its own army and strengthen its sovereignty. The reason was disputes with the US over the war against Iran and security in NATO.
Recent US complaints about NATO allies and threats to withdraw from the alliance are prompting European countries to seek alternative security mechanisms, Spanish Foreign Minister Jose Manuel Albares said on Tuesday. Reuters reports this, writes UNN.
Details
After European countries refused to send their naval forces to ensure shipping security in the Strait of Hormuz following the start of the US-Israeli war against Iran on February 28, US President Donald Trump said he was considering withdrawing from the alliance, putting it in a crisis situation.
Albares noted that this decision rests entirely with Trump but stressed that NATO allies showed solidarity with Washington after the September 11, 2001, attacks.
NATO is a mutually beneficial alliance for both Europeans and Americans… But the statements of the US administration and new approaches to Euro-Atlantic security are prompting us, Europeans, to take a step forward in matters of sovereignty and defense.
"We must take the security of our citizens and deterrence into our own hands," he added.
According to him, for this, the EU must move towards creating a pan-European army and integrating the defense industry, as well as forming a single digital market and a capital markets union.
Spain's center-left government has been one of the loudest critics of the war against Iran, calling it illegal and reckless. Spain closed its airspace to American planes involved in the strikes and also banned them from using joint military bases in the south of the country. Trump promised to respond to Spain with trade tariffs.