Some statements by Vox about Ukraine and the Spanish troops that must be clarified

This morning, Vox spokesperson in the Congress of Deputies, Pepa Millán, gave a press conference from the lower house.

Vox criticizes the scarcity of military aid from the government of Pedro Sánchez to Ukraine
Abascal's message of support for Ukraine in a meeting with Vox's allies in Poland

Millán: “We are not in favour of sending troops anywhere”

During that press conference, a journalist asked the parliamentary spokesperson for Vox about the possible "sending of troops to Ukraine on a possible peace mission" (it is assumed that this will be the case if a peace agreement is implemented), something that was raised yesterday at the emergency meeting of several European leaders in Paris and a possibility that Sánchez has ruled out on the part of Spain. The journalist's question and Millán's response can be seen in this video from point 9:00 (I have inserted it so that it starts playing there):

In her response, the parliamentary spokesperson for Vox said the following:

"We are not in favour of sending troops anywhere. We understand that our State Security Forces and Corps and the Army must primarily defend Spain and defend the Spanish people from the main problems we currently have, including illegal immigration."

Santiago Abascal's words on the matter

Commenting on these words, Santiago Abascal, president of Vox, has written a message on Twitter stating:

"Spanish troops to be put at the service of those who have brought about the war by condemning us to energy dependence, thereby leaving us at the mercy of Putin? Spanish troops at the service of those who have left Europe defenceless by liquidating its external borders? Spanish troops at the service of those who have left Europeans at the mercy of Islamist attacks? Absolutely NOT."

It was Putin's Russia that brought war to Europe

To begin with, it is Putin's Russia that has brought war to Europe by invading Ukraine, first with the illegal annexation of Crimea in 2014 and finally with the large-scale invasion in 2022. The European Union, especially some countries (including Spain), has acted irresponsibly, causing the energy dependence that Abascal points out, but it is not this energy dependence that has brought about the war, but Putin, with an invasion motivated by his desire to take over a neighbouring country. Diluting Russia's responsibility for its invasion of Ukraine does not seem acceptable to me.

Spanish military missions abroad and Vox's position

On the other hand, Spanish troops are currently deployed in other NATO countries on missions to reinforce the eastern flank of the Alliance (Latvia, Slovakia and Romania) and also in non-NATO countries (Iraq, Lebanon, Bosnia-Herzegovina, Djibouti, Mozambique, Somalia, the Central African Republic and Senegal). In these last missions, Spain participates in peacekeeping, training and the fight against piracy. Until now, Vox had only asked for the withdrawal of Spanish troops from Lebanon, given how useless the UN mission has been in disarming Hezbollah terrorists.

As far as I know, Vox did not even reject the presence of Spanish soldiers in Mali, a mission already completed, carried out by the European Union and which was not even a peacekeeping mission, as its purpose was to train military personnel from that country. In conditions of peace, Spanish troops would have faced fewer risks in Ukraine than those they faced in Mali. I do not understand why one mission is not acceptable and the other is.

With today's statement not to send Spanish troops "anywhere", it can be deduced that Vox rejects all Spanish military deployments abroad, including those in which we are fulfilling our commitments to support allied countries on NATO's eastern flank in the face of repeated threats launched by Russia. This would be a new position on the part of Vox and would imply betraying our duties to the Atlantic Alliance and turning our backs on NATO member countries, which are Russia's neighbors and have been threatened with an invasion, including Poland.

What Vox has been saying about Ukraine and NATO

In May 2024, in the Congressional Defense Commission, Ret. Major General Alberto Asarta, a Vox deputy, expressed the position of this party as follows:

"The first thing is the protection of our citizens and the interests of the Spanish people and of all those partners and allies with whom we share principles and values. Working for peace means assuming sacrifices and individual and collective efforts of all kinds."

In March 2023, General Asarta also pointed out in Congress that "Vox condemned from the first moment the invasion of Ukraine by the Russian Federation", and urged the Sánchez government to "join the efforts that, both within the framework of the European Union and NATO, are being made through the reception of wounded and refugees, financial support, military equipment and sanctions against the Russian Federation."

The Vox MP also recalled that "the situation created by this invasion constitutes a threat to the Union as a whole." According to the Vox report, Asarta highlighted "the good coordination between the European Union and NATO" and added: "Coordination, commitment and seamless union are very important and necessary at this time." Finally, Asarta said that "it is essential that the governments, parliaments, institutions and civil society of the European Union provide immediate assistance of all kinds to Ukraine."

Has Vox changed its position regarding NATO?

As a Vox voter, I think I have the right to ask: How does this position square with what we have heard and read today? We must remember that our troops are not there to defend politicians of one sign or another, but to defend the Spanish people and the citizens of our allied countries, whatever their ideology.

Vox has never proposed Spain's exit from NATO. There is no statement from the party in this regard, and if anyone knows of one I would appreciate it if you could point it out to me, because I have not found it. So, I do not understand why Vox is making this statement. If it has been made to please those who hold isolationist discourses (I do not know if that was the intention), then it is worth asking whether Vox wants Spain to leave NATO, because being a member of the Atlantic Alliance is incompatible with defending isolationism.

Honestly, as a Vox voter since its founding, as a person who has supported Vox on many occasions (the last time this very morning), I hope that the party I vote for will clarify its statements today. When I entrust my vote to someone, I do so with the hope that they will act responsibly, and not turn their back on our allies when Putin's criminal regime is threatening them. I have not changed my position on either the invasion of Ukraine or NATO. I continue to defend the same thing I did years ago. If Vox has changed its position, I want to know so I can act accordingly.

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Photo: Vox Congreso.