Pedro Sánchez, and therefore Spain, are once again left out of the group of governments and countries leading Europe and supporting Volodímir Zelenski and Ukraine in their defense against Russia. The Spanish Prime Minister is not among the signatories of a document signed by German Chancellor Friedrich Merz, French President Emmanuel Macron, Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni, and British Prime Minister Keir Starmer.
But there's more. The list also includes the Prime Minister of Norway, Jonas Gahr; Denmark's Mette Frederiksen; Poland's Donald Tusk; and Finland's President Alexander Stubb. In addition, the President of the European Commission, Ursula von der Leyen, and the President of the European Council, Antonio Costa, are also signatories.
This is not the first occasion where the Prime Minister is not in the core of decision-making. In September, for example, he did not participate in high-level talks after Russia violated Poland's airspace. He also did not join the leaders accompanying Zelenski in meeting with US President Donald Trump. Ultimately, he has long been outside the group leading decisions and measures on Ukraine, Russia, war, and the future of Europe.
"We are all united in our desire for a just and lasting peace, deserved by the people of Ukraine. We firmly support President Trump's position that fighting must cease immediately and that the current contact line should be the starting point for negotiations. We remain committed to the principle that international borders should not be changed by force," the text states.
The reference to borders is far from casual, coming after reports from the Financial Times that Trump suggested Zelenski should accept the loss of Ukrainian territory for peace. The text also precedes the meeting between the tycoon and Vladimir Putin in Budapest and the European Council meeting this week in Brussels, with Ukraine and frozen Russian assets at the center of the debate.
"Russia's delaying tactics have repeatedly shown that Ukraine is the only party truly committed to peace. We can all see that Putin continues to choose violence and destruction. Therefore, we are clear that Ukraine must be in the strongest possible position. We must increase pressure on the Russian economy and defense industry until Putin is willing to make peace. We are developing measures to utilize the full value of immobilized Russian sovereign assets, so that Ukraine has the resources it needs," the text emphasizes.
Spain views it "positively"
Asked about Sánchez's absence among the document signatories, sources from Moncloa point out that they share "the content of the declaration and also the commitment it reflects." "This issue will be addressed at the European Council on Thursday, in which Spain will actively participate," they add.
The government also notes that "numerous joint statements are issued in the European context, and not all Member States always participate," and they "positively" value the initiative. However, it is significant that Spain, the only major European economy not among the signatories; that out of ten countries, neither the European Commission nor the European Council are signatories; and all this adds to the repeated and relevant accumulated absences.