Biden Tries To Rein In Spain After Veto Of EU Entry In Anti-Yemen Taskforce
US President Joe Biden spoke with his Spanish counterpart Pedro Sanchez on 22 December to discuss bilateral relations and the “dramatic situation” in Gaza.
The NATO partners “stressed the importance of ensuring the conflict does not expand in the region, to include condemning ongoing [Yemeni] attacks against commercial vessels in the Red Sea,” the White House readout of the call highlights.
However, the official readouts do not mention Spain's role in the recently announced Operation Prosperity Guardian, as reports in Spanish media have revealed that Sanchez's office ordered Madrid's mission in Brussels to veto the participation of EU naval forces in the anti-Yemen coalition.