Sánchez Calls to Halt Nuclear Arms Race: "A Historic Mistake"

Spain - Ekhbary News Agency

Sánchez Calls to Halt Nuclear Arms Race: "A Historic Mistake"

Spanish Prime Minister Pedro Sánchez has issued a stark warning against the escalating global nuclear arms race, characterizing it as a "historic mistake" that jeopardizes humanity's future. His forceful address came during his inaugural participation in the Munich Security Conference, the premier international forum for defense and security policy, which convened amidst heightened geopolitical tensions worldwide.

Addressing the conference for the first time as Spain's head of government, Sánchez underscored his nation's firm commitment to the international rules-based order. However, he also articulated Spain's principled rejection of increasing defense spending to 5% of GDP, a demand often voiced by US President Donald Trump towards NATO allies. Sánchez clarified that under his leadership, Spain has significantly boosted its defense contributions, stating, "Since I took office as president, Spain has tripled its defense spending and doubled the number of personnel deployed in NATO missions."

This assertion of Spain's defense commitments served as a foundation for his critical stance on nuclear rearmament. "I am firmly convinced that nuclear rearmament is not the path to follow," Sánchez declared, cautioning against a return to Cold War dynamics and their existential perils. He reminded the international community of the consensus reached over 70 years ago: that "nuclear deterrence was too costly and too risky to prevent conflict between nations."

Sánchez elaborated on the rationale behind that historical conclusion. Firstly, the immense financial burden requiring colossal public investment. Secondly, the extreme danger, as numerous incidents involving technical or human errors had brought the world perilously close to triggering an open nuclear war between the West and the former Soviet Union – a conflict that could have led to humanity's extinction. Therefore, the conclusion was that "the risks of nuclear deterrence outweighed its contribution to peace."

To bolster his argument, the Spanish leader invoked the wisdom of historical figures such as Ronald Reagan and John F. Kennedy, emphasizing that the issue transcends partisan politics: "It is not a matter of left or right, but of doing the right thing."

However, Sánchez expressed deep concern over the shifting global security landscape, warning, "Today, it seems the tide is turning." He lamented, "Nuclear powers have forgotten the lessons of the past and are expanding their nuclear arsenals again." He pointed to the alarming current expenditure, noting that these powers collectively spend over $11 million per hour on nuclear weapons. Citing expert analyses, he highlighted that the United States alone is projected to invest $946 billion in nuclear weapons in the coming decades – an amount he argued is "sufficient to eradicate global poverty." This allocation, in his view, constitutes a "historic mistake" that is difficult to justify given pressing global humanitarian needs.

Concluding his address, Sánchez made a heartfelt appeal, humbly urging all nuclear powers to "put a brake on nuclear rearmament." He called upon these nations to return to the negotiating table to forge a new arms control agreement, such as a successor to the New START treaty signed by Washington and Moscow in 2010, which aimed to limit long-range nuclear arsenals and recently expired. Sánchez's intervention serves as a critical reminder in an increasingly volatile world that true peace and security cannot be built on a foundation of fear and mutual destruction.

Ekhbary News Agency