Spanish outlet El Español advocates sending troops to Ukraine
El Español published an article backing Western troops in Ukraine and criticizing Spain's low security awareness, sparking backlash.
English · Original discussion in Spanish · Published
Spanish outlet El Español advocates sending troops to Ukraine
On March 15, 2024, the newspaper El Español published an article by Borja Lasheras openly defending the deployment of Western troops to Ukraine. Titled «This time, Macron is right: Europe must send troops to Ukraine», the text does not merely support the French president’s position; it elevates it to a strategic thesis, arguing that Europe should use «all cards» to deter Russia. The piece includes a provocative line: «Spain, a country with shockingly low national security awareness, could take note». The reaction was immediate. In geopolitical analysis forums, the publication was read as more than an opinion column: as warmongering propaganda. Criticism targeted not only the content but also the author and his professional background.
Who is Borja Lasheras and why his name generates rejection
Borja Lasheras is no improvised columnist. His name is linked to episodes that, for part of the public, make him suspect of serving interests alien to Spain. As recalled in critical circles, he participated in the British parliamentary committee investigating alleged Russian interference in the Catalan independence process (procés), a committee which, according to these sources, failed to provide any proof and was exposed. He is also associated with the so-called Integrity Initiative, a network funded by British MI6 that, according to accusations, managed to block the appointment of Colonel Pedro Baños as head of the National Security Department. For many, this résumé explains why a Spaniard writes an article practically proposing that Spain assume existential risks in a foreign conflict.
The article’s argument: deterrence and «all cards»
Lasheras’ text does not call for nuclear war, but justifies the presence of Western forces in Ukraine as a deterrence tool. The thesis is that Europe must stop excluding options and show Russia it is willing to do anything. However, critics interpret this logic as another step toward direct confrontation. The phrase about Spain’s «low national security awareness» is seen as an insinuation: someone is suggesting Spaniards must accept sacrifices for a European security that, in practice, benefits the Anglosphere. The mention of Macron is not casual: the French president has been the first to put troop deployment on the table, and his fruta for launching ideas without prior consensus does not help calm tensions.
The reaction: from criticism to accusations of treason
In forums, the publication was met with a mix of indignation and contempt. The author was accused of being a «paid lunatic» for European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen and of defending a war he will not fight. «He already has a signed safe-conduct pass so he won’t be recruited», it was said. Criticism extended beyond the author to El Español’s editorial line, accused of aligning with Anglo-Saxon interests and acting as a NATO transmission belt. Several messages noted that Lasheras has been accompanied in these ventures by regulars from the Real Instituto Elcano, El País, and CIBOB (Barcelona Centre for Foreign Affairs), all flagged as part of the same influence network. The question hovering over the debate was clear: why does a Spanish media outlet publish an article practically asking Spaniards to prepare to die for Ukraine?
The backdrop: Spain, NATO, and the conflict with Russia
Lasheras’ article comes amid verbal escalation. Macron has insisted that Western troops cannot be ruled out, backed by several Baltic states and Poland. However, NATO has not adopted an official position on troop deployment, and Article 5 remains the alliance’s cornerstone. Within this framework, Lasheras’ thesis attempts to push the debate toward greater European involvement. To his critics, it is reckless: Russia has not attacked Spain, there are no deep historical or economic ties, and the conflict is thousands of kilometers away. The lingering question is whether Europe is willing to bear the cost of a war that, as one participant recalled, «doesn’t pay off for anyone».
Ultimately, El Español’s article achieved what few columns manage: uniting voices of very different stripes around the same suspicion. Some see it as treason, others as simple clumsiness. But no one seems willing to accept without question that Spain should send troops to Ukraine. Or maybe they are?
On March 15, 2024, the newspaper El Español published an article by Borja Lasheras openly defending the deployment of Western troops to Ukraine. Titled «This time, Macron is right: Europe must send troops to Ukraine», the text does not merely support the French president’s position; it elevates it to a strategic thesis, arguing that Europe should use «all cards» to deter Russia. The piece includes a provocative line: «Spain, a country with shockingly low national security awareness, could take note». The reaction was immediate. In geopolitical analysis forums, the publication was read as more than an opinion column: as warmongering propaganda. Criticism targeted not only the content but also the author and his professional background.
Who is Borja Lasheras and why his name generates rejection
Borja Lasheras is no improvised columnist. His name is linked to episodes that, for part of the public, make him suspect of serving interests alien to Spain. As recalled in critical circles, he participated in the British parliamentary committee investigating alleged Russian interference in the Catalan independence process (procés), a committee which, according to these sources, failed to provide any proof and was exposed. He is also associated with the so-called Integrity Initiative, a network funded by British MI6 that, according to accusations, managed to block the appointment of Colonel Pedro Baños as head of the National Security Department. For many, this résumé explains why a Spaniard writes an article practically proposing that Spain assume existential risks in a foreign conflict.
The article’s argument: deterrence and «all cards»
Lasheras’ text does not call for nuclear war, but justifies the presence of Western forces in Ukraine as a deterrence tool. The thesis is that Europe must stop excluding options and show Russia it is willing to do anything. However, critics interpret this logic as another step toward direct confrontation. The phrase about Spain’s «low national security awareness» is seen as an insinuation: someone is suggesting Spaniards must accept sacrifices for a European security that, in practice, benefits the Anglosphere. The mention of Macron is not casual: the French president has been the first to put troop deployment on the table, and his fruta for launching ideas without prior consensus does not help calm tensions.
The reaction: from criticism to accusations of treason
In forums, the publication was met with a mix of indignation and contempt. The author was accused of being a «paid lunatic» for European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen and of defending a war he will not fight. «He already has a signed safe-conduct pass so he won’t be recruited», it was said. Criticism extended beyond the author to El Español’s editorial line, accused of aligning with Anglo-Saxon interests and acting as a NATO transmission belt. Several messages noted that Lasheras has been accompanied in these ventures by regulars from the Real Instituto Elcano, El País, and CIBOB (Barcelona Centre for Foreign Affairs), all flagged as part of the same influence network. The question hovering over the debate was clear: why does a Spanish media outlet publish an article practically asking Spaniards to prepare to die for Ukraine?
The backdrop: Spain, NATO, and the conflict with Russia
Lasheras’ article comes amid verbal escalation. Macron has insisted that Western troops cannot be ruled out, backed by several Baltic states and Poland. However, NATO has not adopted an official position on troop deployment, and Article 5 remains the alliance’s cornerstone. Within this framework, Lasheras’ thesis attempts to push the debate toward greater European involvement. To his critics, it is reckless: Russia has not attacked Spain, there are no deep historical or economic ties, and the conflict is thousands of kilometers away. The lingering question is whether Europe is willing to bear the cost of a war that, as one participant recalled, «doesn’t pay off for anyone».
Ultimately, El Español’s article achieved what few columns manage: uniting voices of very different stripes around the same suspicion. Some see it as treason, others as simple clumsiness. But no one seems willing to accept without question that Spain should send troops to Ukraine. Or maybe they are?
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Summary of a discussion on Burbuja.info - Foro de economía, actualidad y política., translated from Spanish and reviewed before publication. Read the full discussion (112 replies).
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