Biden, Spain's Sanchez to discuss Russia-Ukraine war at White House

[May 12, 2023]  By Arshad Mohammed and Jeff Mason
 
WASHINGTON (Reuters) - U.S. President Joe Biden and Spanish Prime Minister Pedro Sanchez will discuss Ukraine, defense cooperation, and migration on Friday during a meeting at the White House in which the war between Moscow and Kyiv is likely to loom large.

U.S. President Joe Biden talks with Spain’s Prime Minister Pedro Sanchez prior to the start of a mangrove planting event at Ngurah Rai Forest Park, on the sidelines of the G20 summit in Denpasar, Bali, Indonesia November 16, 2022. Dita Alangkara/Pool via REUTERS

While Madrid agrees with Washington on the illegality of Russia's February 2022 invasion of Ukraine, Sanchez will convey the divergent views of China and Brazil and propose giving greater weight to the views of non-NATO nations hurt by the war, a Spanish diplomatic source said.

The United States reacted skeptically to China's 12-point peace plan, saying if Beijing were serious about its first point on respecting sovereignty it should urge Russia to withdraw.

Similarly, Brazilian President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva drew U.S. criticism for his suggesting the West had been "encouraging" war by arming Ukraine.

A White House official said China and Brazil could play a role in eventual peace talks, but stressed that an end to the war must respect the principles of sovereignty and territorial integrity.

"We support (Ukrainian) President (Volodymyr) Zelenskiy's call for a just end to Russia's war of choice that respects certain principles, including sovereignty and territorial integrity," the official said, adding Biden would thank Sanchez for Spanish security and humanitarian aid to Ukraine.

Dan Fried, a former U.S. diplomat at the Atlantic Council think tank, expressed skepticism that Sanchez would urge Washington to pay greater heed to Chinese and Brazilian views on the war.

"A Spanish suggestion that the U.S. (and) Europe reach out more to the Global South about Russia’s war against Ukraine could be seen as constructive, especially if Spain were willing to help, as I expect it would be," he said.

"I doubt that the Spanish government would urge the U.S. to abandon a country fighting for its life or to show faux understanding for the aggressor nation, Russia," he added.

The White House official said Biden would thank Sanchez for Spain's commitment to collaborate on expanding "migration pathways" for people from Latin America. They would also discuss efforts to strengthen the defense relationship between the United States and Spain, he said.

(Reporting By Jeff Mason and Arshad Mohammed in Washington; Additional reporting by Belén Carreño; editing by Grant McCool)

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