The double standards of Europe and the West regarding the wars in Ukraine and Gaza risk undermining their global position, Spanish Prime Minister Pedro Sánchez warned, describing the response to Israel’s assault on Palestinian territory as one of the darkest episodes in 21st-century international relations.
In an interview with The Guardian ahead of talks with UK Prime Minister Keir Starmer in London on Wednesday, the socialist leader also said that the United States under Donald Trump was attempting to dismantle the post-World War II rules-based international order that it had helped to establish.
He defended the benefits of migration and blamed mainstream right-wing parties for breaking consensus on climate emergency responses by imitating the policies of their populist rivals.
Sánchez – the first senior European leader to accuse Israel of committing genocide in Gaza – said he was pleased that other European countries were following Spain’s example in recognizing a Palestinian state, but admitted that Europe’s overall response had been weak.
“It is a failure,” he said. “Absolutely. The reality is also that, within the European Union, there are countries divided over how to influence Israel. But in my view, this is unacceptable, and we cannot continue like this if we want to strengthen our credibility when it comes to other crises, such as the one we face in Ukraine.”
“The roots of these wars are completely different, but, ultimately, the world is looking to the EU and to Western society and asking: ‘Why do you apply double standards when it comes to Ukraine and when it comes to Gaza?’”
Speaking as he seeks to reassert himself on the international stage and overcome a series of damaging corruption allegations against his administration that have fueled calls for early elections, Sánchez said he is pushing Europe to do more, including financially sanctioning Israel.
“What we are witnessing now in Gaza is perhaps one of the darkest episodes in 21st-century international relations, and in this respect what I must say is that Spain has been very vocal within the EU and also within the international community,” he stressed. “Within the EU, what we have done so far is support the suspension of the EU’s strategic partnership with Israel.”
