Two Spanish parties oppose sending troops to Ukraine

The Spanish government’s plans regarding the possible deployment of a military contingent to Ukraine following the final approval of a peace plan have sparked strong opposition from the Podemos party and the United Left coalition.

The left-wing political forces made these statements ahead of a new round of talks that Prime Minister Pedro Sánchez plans to hold with parliamentary factions starting on January 12, Caliber.Az reports, citing Spanish media.

During these meetings, the head of government intends to brief lawmakers on the outcomes of the summit of the so-called “coalition of the willing.”

At the same time, the Sumar left-wing bloc, which includes United Left, said it expects all details of any potential deployment of Spanish troops to be finalised before deciding whether to support such an initiative. Sources within the bloc emphasised that the issue is extremely complex and requires thorough consideration.

United Left leader Enrique Santiago adopted a tougher stance, categorically rejecting the possibility of sending troops even after a potential ceasefire. According to him, the party “has no intention of agreeing to the start of a war.”

Podemos has also refused to support the idea of deploying Spanish forces to Ukraine. Party leader Ione Belarra stated that her party does not want to contribute to an escalation of the conflict or further fuel it.

Earlier, Spanish Prime Minister Pedro Sánchez for the first time allowed for the possibility of the country’s participation in an international mission in Ukraine and said he intended to discuss the issue with lawmakers.

By Khagan Isayev