"No to war," but also no to Europe: Pedro Sánchez's balancing act in foreign policy.

27 March 2026

Sánchez condemns Middle East war, opposing US/Israel actions. His stance contrasts with his actions, raising questions about Spanish strategic autonomy.

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[This is an automatically generated summary, for reference only]

Pedro Sánchez condemned the military attack by the United States and Israel on Iran during a speech at the Congress of Deputies. Spain has denied the use of its military bases in Rota and Morón for attacking Iran, a stance that has caused friction with Donald Trump, who threatened to cut all trade with Spain. Sánchez’s opposition to the conflict in the Middle East marks another disagreement with Trump, who has clashed with Sánchez on issues like the genocide in Gaza, democracy, multilateralism, international law, climate change, and migration policies. Notably, Sánchez was the only NATO leader who refused to raise defense spending to 5% of GDP, arguing that Spain could meet its capability goals without that percentage. Instead, Sánchez has advocated for strengthening European defense industry, creating a European army, and advancing strategic autonomy. However, the text points out contradictions, noting that Spain has increased its dependence on the US for defense and energy and has not participated in initiatives for more autonomous European defense, which the author suggests could erode Spain’s future international standing.


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