The Government has reiterated that it will increase the defense spending to meet the commitment “without any doubt” to reach 2% of GDP in 2029 and has stated that the 2023 budgets “will lead the way” for the coming years.
This has been confirmed by the Minister of Defence, Daisy Robles, during his speech at the 68th annual NATO Parliamentary Assembly held in Madrid. The socialist has launched this Saturday a notice to the partner countries to alert them of the expansion of Russia in Africa.
There, he has been emphatic in stating that “Spain will continue to be a serious, rigorous and responsible ally” and has stressed that it will contribute with “generous” contributions and with increases in Defense and security.
“We are not going to haggle over any type of effort,” he said after advancing that the priority is currently the war in Ukraine and that next week Spain will again send new military supplies of which the content has not been revealed, although it has stressed that the “fundamental” material that is being sent refers to anti-aircraft defenses.
In said event he has pronounced himself in the same sense Nadia CalvinoFirst Vice President and Minister of Economic Affairs, who added that Spain was below 2% and is going to make an effort to increase spending, while adding that she considers that the role of the defense sector will continue increasing.
This Saturday, Robles took the opportunity to warn that Russia “is finding a perfect field of extension” in Africa, either directly through his Army or through the private company Wagner. “Any vacuum left by Europe or NATO in Africa is being perfectly taken advantage of by Russia,” she warned.
“Russia is invading Ukraine, but it is spreading in Africa and we all have to be aware of that”, he insisted. The Chief of the Defense Staff (JEMAD) has pronounced along the same lines, Teodoro Lopez Calderonhas had an impact on the fact that Africa has become an area of ”geostrategic competition”.
The latter has shared that the growing Russian influence in the area is increasing its “destabilization” and reinforcing that African countries are dominated by political systems based on coups; in addition to the expansion of terrorism and the increase in other criminal activities such as people or arms trafficking.
“The vision of our Government is to try to avoid those gaps that, once they are left, are penetrated and taken over by these forces”, said the JEMAD in reference to Russia, which has recalled that it also takes control of the exploitation of the natural resources of these countries.
