Spain mobilizes two ships and offers fighters to NATO in full escalation with Russia over Ukraine (translation in comments)

23 comments

  1. Translation:

    ​

    The Defense Minister, Margarita Robles, has advanced that Spain will send the Blas de Lezo frigate to the Black Sea in “3 or 4” days, where the Meteoro minehunter left two days ago, a shipment that arrives in full tension with Russia over the situation in Ukraine.
    Robles, in statements to the media during the visit he made this Thursday to a military vaccination center in Corral de Calatrava (Ciudad Real), together with the Minister of Health, Carolina Darias, thus referred to the international situation and to the crisis arising from Ukraine’s intention to join NATO.
    The Minister of Defense has recalled that Spain has been participating in all the deployments organized by NATO for years, and in this specific case the departure of the ships has been brought forward, within what she has agreed with the organization.
    Air deployment in Bulgaria
    Robles has pointed out that the possibility of an air deployment in Bulgaria in which Spain participates is also being assessed, which would be added to the one in which it takes part each year in Lithuania.
    In addition, she has recalled that for six years Spain has had more than 300 people in Latvia, therefore, she has said, “Spain’s participation in NATO has been going on for many years”.
    In any case, in reference to the Ukraine crisis, he said that Spain’s position, like that of the Atlantic organization as a whole, is that in order to solve it there is a diplomatic response that favors the de-escalation of tension in the area.
    However, he has warned that “NATO is very clear” in its position and has pointed out that “Russia cannot tell any country what it can do, and NATO will defend any country that wants to enter” this organization. , has finished saying.

  5. It is very nice. If European countries show that it not going to turn a blind eye it can actually stop Putin from invading.

    Also, North Spain is very similar to Ukraine in nature. I spend my vacations there and it is almost like home.

  7. [A very similar message from the Netherlands ministry of Defense](https://www.defensie.nl/actueel/nieuws/2022/01/20/nederland-stelt-f-35s-en-landgebonden-eenheden-beschikbaar-voor-navo-verdediging)

    translation:
    **The Netherlands makes F-35s and land-based units available for NATO defence**

    The Netherlands is on standby to make an extra contribution to strengthening the deterrence and defense of NATO. There is a worrying Russian troop build-up on the border with Ukraine. Russia is also behaving more and more assertively. NATO therefore strengthens deterrence and defence. Minister Kajsa Ollongren wrote this to the House today.

    **Defense deploys the F-35 for the first time.**

    Defense deploys 2 F-35 fighter aircraft, including support personnel. This is for the months of April and May of this year. The aircraft then carry out so-called Quick Reaction Alert tasks from Bulgaria. The fighters can be deployed immediately to intercept unknown aircraft over the NATO treaty area. This will be the first time that Defense will deploy the F-35.

    An amphibious transport ship, including landing craft and helicopters, and 2 land-based units are also on standby. They can be deployed for the so-called Initial Follow-on Forces Group (IFFG) of the NATO Response Force (NRF). The NRF is NATO’s rapid response force. The IIFG is part of this and can be deployed to monitor troops of the Very High Readiness Joint Task Force (VJTF). The North Atlantic Council determines whether this Rapid Reaction Force is deployed in defense of allies.

    **De-escalate situation**

    Ollongren: “All efforts are aimed at de-escalating the situation through dialogue and diplomacy. Ultimately, this is in the interest of all parties involved. At the same time, it is important to be prepared for the undesirable scenario that conversations fail. That is why, as part of the two-track policy, we will continue to focus on deterrence and defense in addition to dialogue.”

    “The cabinet supports a clear message to Russia that aggressive action will lead to a sharp tightening of US and European sanctions, as recently indicated by US President Biden and EU High Representative Borrell. The cabinet will support EU (economic) sanctions in the event of further Russian aggression against Ukraine.”

    **Previously offered contribution**

    The contribution is in addition to the Dutch contribution already offered to the existing NATO alliances. For example, the Netherlands will be in command of the existing NATO fleet association Standing NATO Maritime Group 1 (SNMG1) throughout this year. This is one of NATO’s 4 permanent maritime response forces. HNLMS Rotterdam is the temporary flagship of the SNMG1, which is controlled by the NATO maritime headquarters in Northwood, United Kingdom.

    Earlier this year, the Netherlands indicated at the EU meeting for defense and foreign affairs ministers that it was committed to de-escalating tensions on the border between Ukraine and Russia. This requires a balanced package of preventive military and non-military measures. Strengthening NATO’s deterrence and defense is one of the points of this.

  9. I wonder if a naval blockade of Russia is seriously being discussed behind closed doors. NATO and the EU is in an excellent position to do so.

  12. Does it have any deterrent message is NATO is loud about no military help to Ukraine in case of attack? If NATO was but ambiguous about it then maybe.

  14. full blown invasion is very improbable.

    what is probable though:

    * fights escalate between “local militia” (that ofc consists of unlabeled russian army personnel) and Ukraine forces
    * somehow “happens” that russia has thousands of russian nationality “civilians” on those Ukraine’s territories, where fights are escalated
    * Russia declare that it’s “unsafe” to get their “civilans” home and force upon right to have their “peacekeepers” entered the territory
    * these “peacekeepers” further destabilize the area, provide actual support for local resistance (aka unlabeled army)
    * and add fabricated border breaches or fabricated attacks on “peacekeeping” forces and you get the picture

    west watches and points fingers oi-oi-oi, you-are-not-supposed-to-do-this-and-that, we-condemn etc-etc, but no actual action is done

    russian govt laugh at the west. and increases gas prices even further. and then laugh even more.

    business as usual, nothing to see here.

  16. Also a quote from the foreign minister, kinda implying a EU intervention is possible.

    > According to “El Mundo” daily, Mr Albares was asked if Spain would send its troops to Ukraine in the event of Russia’s invasion.
    >
    > “Spain has a very clear [stance] on this. Should it prove necessary, we would act within the framework of the EU. Spain does not rule out sending its troops into the territory of Ukraine if the crisis aggravates,” he replied, adding that in case of an armed conflict, the Spanish units would “respond jointly” with EU member states to the threat.

  17. Good for Spain. What countries have indicted they would be willing to send forces if called upon? I assume the US and UK would. Who else?

  20. After this I don’t want to hear any more Western Europeans saying Ukraine doesn’t deserve to be in the EU. They’ve earned it.

  21. I don’t understand why we want be involved in this conflict where we don’t have nothing to win. When we had problems with Morocco, nobody did nothing to helped us.

  22. Who does Spain want to impress? The Montreux conventions says:
    Non-Black-Sea powers willing to send a vessel must notify Turkey 15 days prior of their sought passing, while Black Sea states must notify within 8 days of passage. Also, no more than nine foreign warships, with a total aggregate tonnage of 15,000 tons, may pass at any one time. Furthermore, no single ship heavier than 10,000 tonnes can pass. An aggregate tonnage of all non-Black Sea warships in the Black Sea must be no more than 45,000 tons (with no one nation exceeding 30,000 tons at any given time), and they are permitted to stay in the Black Sea for no longer than twenty-one days. Only Black Sea states may transit capital ships of any tonnage, escorted by no more than two destroyers.

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