Albares after Belarra's accusations of warmongering against the Government: "Opinions are one thing and decisions are another"

He assures that the debate on the sending of troops has not been raised by Spain, nor the EU nor NATO are belligerents

MADRID, 27 Feb. (EUROPA PRESS) -

The Minister of Foreign Affairs, European Union and Cooperation, José Manuel Albares, has made it clear this Monday that he does not share the statements of the Minister of Social Rights and leader of Podemos, Ione Belarra, but has assured that the Government is united in the search of peace regardless of different opinions.

"Here the only one who has escalated since the first day of the war is Vladimir Putin," Albares replied in an interview on TVE collected by Europa Press, after Belarra denounced that Spain has contributed to the "war escalation." "He is the one who started this war, the one who today one more day is going to decide to continue," he added.

"If it were up to the Government of Spain or any other, this war would never have started and would certainly end today," Albares argued, assuring that the only thing that has been done has been "help a country that has every right to exist" and that it is defending its sovereignty, its territorial integrity and defenseless civilians.

Thus, faced with the different positioning of PSOE and Podemos, the minister has maintained that "all members of the Government are united in the search for peace, we all want peace to return and we are against this illegal war."

The PSOE, he added, "is always against all illegal wars", as happened first with the one in Iraq and now with the one in the Ukraine. "Opinions are one thing and decisions are another, decisions are made in the Council of Ministers" every Tuesday and there the Government remains united, he concluded.

Regarding the debate on the possible sending of troops to Ukraine, he stressed that "it has not been raised at any time by anyone" and of course the Government has not raised it.

"This is a one-man, one-country war," insisted the head of diplomacy, reiterating once again that "no one else is participating in this war," neither Spain, nor the EU, nor NATO, nor any of its members. Thus, "there is no place for any troops from any country to attend because no country is a belligerent," he argued.

On the other hand, he has congratulated himself once again on the release this Saturday of the Spanish Ana Baneira by the Iranian authorities, although he has admitted that his happiness will only be complete when Santiago Sánchez Cogedor is also released.

Both were arrested in November and October respectively in the framework of the protests against the death in custody of the young Kurdish Masha Amini for allegedly wearing the veil incorrectly. In this sense, the minister has not wanted to clarify the charges of which both were accused, beyond defending that "they did not have the slightest foundation."

Thus, Albares has assured that with Baneira now free, contacts and efforts will continue with the Iranian authorities for the release of Santiago Sánchez. "I'm not going to give up until I'm back in Spain with his family," he stressed, but "to achieve the same result I need to be as discreet as possible."