Sánchez urges European defense integration amid Greenland tensions

Barcelona, Jan 18 (EFE).- Spanish Prime Minister Pedro Sánchez on Sunday called for progress toward a common European defense, even without the unanimous backing of all 27 EU member states, amid rising geopolitical tensions linked to Greenland.

“A group of countries can move forward in this process of integration toward truly European Armed Forces,” Sánchez said in an interview published Sunday in the newspaper La Vanguardia, stressing the need to develop a European defense industry.

Sánchez said remarks by US President Donald Trump about a possible invasion of Greenland “should be taken seriously,” warning that such an act of force would spell “the death knell of NATO.”

Such an invasion, he added, would make Russian President Vladimir Putin “the happiest man in the world,” as it would legitimize Russia’s attempt to invade Ukraine.

“If the United States has a legitimate concern about security in the Arctic, it should be raised within NATO’s North Atlantic Council,” Sánchez said.

The Spanish government is evaluating the possibility of sending troops to Greenland, an option Sánchez said he would discuss with the leader of the opposition and parliamentary groups.

He stressed that “no decision has been made.”

He noted that the current geopolitical context has prompted Spain to increase its defense budget “in real terms,” participate in joint financing instruments, and deploy deterrent forces in Eastern Europe.

But Sánchez reaffirmed that military spending of 5 percent of GDP, as demanded by Trump, is “unacceptable” and “unaffordable” for Spain.

“We are not going to cut social, health, educational, or scientific policies in order to further increase military spending that is not currently designed to strengthen the European defense industry,” he said.

“With spending just over 2 percent of GDP, Spain is more than meeting the capabilities required of us today,” he said.

On relations with China, Sánchez said Spain views the country “as a systemic rival, a competitor, and also an ally on certain global challenges,” such as climate change.

Since the pandemic, Sánchez has visited China annually and said he plans to make another trip in 2026 “in the interest of Spain and Europe.”

“The world is very large, and there are regions eager to collaborate and cooperate with Europe. Europe cannot turn its back on them,” he said. EFE

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