00:00We Spaniards are far away from Russia, but we know quite well that Putin is a real threat,
00:06that the world is becoming more unstable, and that we Europeans must strengthen our defense capabilities
00:13to protect, of course, our freedom and way of life, but also to provide security guarantees
00:19to our international partners. Thank you very much. Good morning. I've come to Munich to meet
00:26with friends and allies, to listen to experts, and to show Spain's commitment to the multilateral
00:32order and the security of Eastern European nations. We Spaniards are far away from Russia,
00:39but we know quite well that Putin is a real threat, that the world is becoming more unstable,
00:46and that we Europeans must strengthen our defense capabilities to protect, of course, our freedom
00:52and way of life, but also to provide security guarantees to our international partners.
00:59We are also aware of this, that since I became Prime Minister, Spain has tripled its defense spending
01:06and has doubled the number of soldiers deployed in NATO missions. We need, of course, to ensure
01:13our sovereignty, our territorial integrity, and our security. But I strongly believe that nuclear
01:20rearmament is not the right way of doing it. And I am hardly the first one thinking that.
01:27So many years ago, our parents and grandparents came to the conclusion that nuclear deterrence
01:32was a far too costly and risky way of avoiding conflict between nations. Too costly, because it
01:41demanded colossal public investments, and too dangerous, because on several occasions, technical or human
01:49errors came close to triggering a full-scale nuclear war between the West and the former Soviet Union,
01:57a war which would have brought humanity to the brink of extinction. After a few decades,
02:05our predecessors realized that the risks posed by nuclear deterrence far outweigh its contributions to peace.
02:14They realized that the system that requires zero mistakes and constant correction to avoid total destruction is not a guarantee.
02:23It is a gamble.
02:25President Ronald Reagan stated, and I quote, a nuclear war cannot be won and must never be fought. End of
02:32the quote.
02:33And John F. Kennedy said that, and I quote, the weapons of war must be abolished before they abolish us.
02:42End of the quote.
02:43So this was not about left or right. It was about doing the right thing. This collective realization led to
02:52an international agreement to undertake a gradual, verifiable process of nuclear disarmament, treaties were signed, and nuclear arsenals were dramatically
03:03reduced.
03:03But now the tide is turning. Nuclear powers have forgotten the lessons of the past, and they are expanding their
03:12nuclear arsenals once again. Together, they are spending more than 11 million dollars every single hour on them.
03:22And experts estimate that the U.S. alone will invest 946 billion dollars in nukes over the next decade, enough
03:32to eradicate extreme global poverty.
03:35In my view, this is a mistake, a historical error that we cannot commit again, particularly not today with artificial
03:44intelligence casting a shadow of uncertainty over the entire world.
03:49That is why I would like to humbly ask all these powerful nations, please stop nuclear rearmament. Sit down, negotiate,
03:59and sign a new START treaty to ensure continuity of the one that has just expired.
04:05As a non-nuclear country that has witnessed nuclear bombs accidentally being dropped on its territory back in 1966, I
04:16beg you, prevent the launch of a new arms race while it is possible.
04:21Humanity will be forever grateful if you do, and it will heavily judge you if you don't.
04:28We need to stop Putin. We need to strengthen our deterrence capabilities, but let us do it in a coordinated
04:37and targeted way that we can control.
04:40Let's build a true European army, not in 10 years, but now. Spain will join with all the resources that
04:47are needed.
04:47Let's strengthen our multilateral system, reforming and empowering those institutions that, despite their flaws, have succeeded in maintaining peace in
04:59the West for decades.
05:01And also, let's invest in the values of solidarity, empathy, and cooperation that have brought us this far.
05:08Because the rearmament that we most urgently need in the world is a moral one. Thank you.
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