Sánchez announces to the presidents that proceedings are being initiated against Putin for war crimes

The president has warned that the conflict is going to be long and that it runs the risk of becoming chronic. The calculations of the Spanish military is that the combats that are taking place these days can last up to ten weeks and later become a “guerrilla war” in Ukrainian territory, as explained by the Defense Minister, Margarita Robles, in Congress, although warned that the course of the war is “unpredictable.” Like other European leaders, the Socialist has shown confidence in China’s mediation work and that it can lead to a diplomatic resolution.

These are some of the messages that Sánchez has launched at the Conference of Presidents that is being held in La Palma and from which he intends to come out with an economic agreement to deal with the crisis that is going to stem from the war as well as for the challenge looming humanitarian issues due to the massive outflow of refugees from Ukraine. For this, it has demanded “maximum unity” from the autonomous communities and, specifically, it has asked the presidents for “collaboration” in the exchange of information to be able to execute the sanctions on the oligarchs with which the allies intend to suffocate the Russian economy in the attempt to stop Putin.

In previous statements to journalists, the President of the Government had defended the “spirit” of the understanding that allowed a unanimous response from the central Executive, the Canarian, the council and the municipalities affected by the eruption of the Cumbre Vieja volcano. “The proposal that I am going to make is that we articulate the agreements of the island of La Palma around four axes”, said Sánchez.

The first refers to the humanitarian response for the reception of Ukrainian refugees, the second is that the Government receives support for the position that it defends in the face of the European Council on March 24 and 25, in which it intends to accept the disassociation of the price of gas from that of electricity, the third is that “the partisan fight” in the execution of European funds be left aside in the face of the battle that the PP has raised up to now, and the fourth is the “articulation of that response plan to the consequences of the war”.

In this sense, he has said that he intends it to be an “open and dynamic” plan in which a dialogue takes place on three levels: with the social agents for the income pact, with the parliamentary groups -with whom a round of of contacts- and, thirdly, with the autonomous communities. “In addition to everything we have already done, the Government is willing to do everything in our power to protect our industries and citizens as we did in the pandemic,” he said. “We are going to put everything in the hands of the Government, all the power and the power of the State so that they are not hostage to Putin’s blackmail,” he concluded.

All the regional leaders attended the Conference of Presidents, including the Catalan, Pere Aragonès, who did not intend to do so before the Russian invasion of Ukraine. What he has not done is appear in the family photo with the king prior to the meeting. The focus of the event was largely on the Galician president, Alberto Núñez Feijóo, who was making his debut as leader of the PP while waiting to be formally confirmed the first weekend of April.

Although the Andalusian president, Juanma Moreno Bonilla, has assured upon his arrival at the meeting that they do not intend to make a “front” of the PP against the socialists, the conservative presidents have pressed for a reduction in VAT on fuels given that the price has skyrocketed in recent weeks and electricity, which is currently at 10%.