He clarified that there is no provision to expel or suspend the participation of member states from the North Atlantic Alliance, following reports of a possible US request to expel it due to its stance on .
How the matter arose
The issue arose earlier today when a US official claimed to Reuters that an internal Pentagon email included proposals to take action against allied countries that Washington says have not adequately supported the US military campaign.
In the same message, reference is also made to a review of the American position on Britain’s claim to the Falkland Islands in the South Atlantic, an area also claimed by Argentina.
However, a NATO official, speaking to the BBC, underlined that the founding treaty of the Alliance does not provide for either a suspension procedure or the possibility of expelling member states.
Reactions after the email revelations
The reports provoked reactions in both London and Madrid. The British government emphatically reiterated that its position on the Falklands remains unchanged, noting that sovereignty rests with the United Kingdom.
For his part, the Spanish Prime Minister commented that his country does not formulate its policy based on unofficial leaks or electronic messages, but relies exclusively on institutional procedures and official positions.
The German government moved along the same lines, with its representative stressing that Spain’s participation in NATO is not in question. “Spain is a member of the Alliance and there is no reason for that to change,” he said during a press conference in Berlin.
