Robles says that the "political decision" on sending battle tanks to Ukraine will be in February

TOLEDO, 20 Ene. (EUROPA PRESS) -

The Defense Minister, Margarita Robles, has spoken about the meeting that the countries of the Contact Group for Ukraine are holding at the Ramstein military base, in Germany, in full debate on the need for new shipments of battle tanks to fight against Russia, on which he has insisted that it is a technical appointment.

To questions from the media from Toledo, Robles has abounded that it is limited to one of the usual appointments that are held on a monthly basis, one month before the next meeting between the defense ministers of the NATO member countries, where they do decisions of a "political" nature will be taken.

It is, however, an appointment "of those that are made periodically" with the coordination of the Secretary of State for Defense of the United States, in which the needs of Ukraine are assessed "from a technical point of view and what contribution can be made ".

For this reason, for Robles, "the most important thing" is that all the aforementioned countries are "united, each one according to its possibilities" in terms of sending material to Ukraine.

"The essential thing is that we are united, and Spain has been firmly committed to Ukraine since February 2020. We have continued to send material and we will continue to send according to what Ukraine requests and in coordination with the allies together," he insisted, although He recalled that Spain "is not the United States" in terms of its shipping capacity.

In February, it has abounded, there will be a meeting of defense ministers where the decisions will be "of a political nature." This Friday, the countries of the Contact Group for Ukraine, to which President Volodimir Zelensky has requested the shipment of 'Leopard' battle tanks, meet at the German Ramstein base.

Spain's representation at this meeting is the responsibility of the Director General of Defense Policy, Lieutenant General Fernando López del Pozo, and the Head of the Joint Defense Staff (JEMACON), Lieutenant General Fernando García González-Valerio.

The appointment will be headed by the new German Defense Minister, Boris Pistorius, and will also be attended, among others, by the US Defense Secretary, Lloyd Austin.