Spanish Military to Bolster NATO Presence in Slovakia Against Russian Threat

The Spanish Army will begin deploying along the Russian border in January to protect NATO's eastern flank. Spain plans to deploy over 600 soldiers in Slovakia, along with Leopard and Pizarro combat tanks, armored vehicles, and potentially, Army helicopters, as reported by ABC.

This maneuver aims to bolster NATO's presence on its eastern flank, near the border with Russia. The decision was reportedly announced by the Spanish Prime Minister, Pedro Sánchez, during the NATO summit held in July in Vilnius, Lithuania.

The initial troops will be sent to the Slovak base in Lest in January, while the official mission will commence on July 1. Spain will thus assume leadership of the land battalion, previously commanded by the Czech Republic.

Additionally, military sources pointed out that the mission in Slovakia will be one of the most comprehensive operations of the Spanish Armed Forces to date and "will not have to go through the Congress filter," despite the National Defense Law requiring all operations conducted abroad, not directly related to Spain's defense or national interest, to obtain the Parliament's authorization.

Furthermore, the Ministry of Defense indicated that the maneuver is part of NATO's operation on the eastern flank, known as Enhanced Forward Presence, which is already active in Latvia. Thus, it is not a new operation but an extension of an existing one, as argued by the agency.

Even though the government almost certainly has parliamentary support – typically backed by the People's Party (PP) and Vox – the Spanish Socialist Workers' Party (PSOE) aims to avoid conflicts with Sumar and its coalition partners, traditionally critical on Defense matters.

Since March 2022, NATO has deployed troops in eight European countries: Latvia, Lithuania, Estonia, Poland, Romania, Slovakia, Hungary, and Bulgaria.