President Joe Biden expressed his gratitude to the Spanish government on Wednesday for their unwavering support of Ukraine and its sovereignty during a bilateral meeting in the Oval Office with Spain’s Prime Minister, Pedro Sanchez.
During the meeting, which marked Sanchez’s first official visit to the White House, Biden thanked Spain for their contributions to the NATO mission in the Black Sea, where Spain has deployed a frigate to support Ukraine in the face of Russian aggression.
Biden also expressed his appreciation for Spain’s decision to expel two Russian diplomats earlier this year in response to Russia’s alleged involvement in the poisoning of opposition leader Alexei Navalny.
“Your actions show that we are united in defending our shared values of democracy, human rights, and the rule of law,” Biden said.
Sanchez, for his part, praised the Biden administration for its commitment to multilateralism and its efforts to rebuild alliances with allies around the world.
“We share the same values and principles, and we believe in the same international order based on multilateralism,” Sanchez said.
The two leaders also discussed a range of other issues during their meeting, including climate change, economic cooperation, and the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic.
Biden praised Spain for its ambitious climate goals and its leadership on renewable energy, noting that the United States is eager to work with Spain and other partners to address the global climate crisis.
On the economic front, the two leaders expressed their commitment to strengthening trade and investment ties between the United States and Spain, and to working together to promote global economic recovery in the wake of the pandemic.
Overall, the meeting was seen as a positive step in strengthening the longstanding partnership between the United States and Spain, and in reaffirming their shared commitment to upholding democracy, human rights, and the rule of law both at home and abroad.