Spanish Prime Minister Pedro Sanchez called during the NATO summit for the West to avoid "double standards" in addressing the Israeli war on Gaza.

Under Sanchez's leadership, the European country has been one of the most vocal critics of Israeli actions in Gaza, criticizing Tel Aviv's approach to the war, and joining other European countries in recently recognizing a Palestinian state.

Consistency in international law: Applying principles to Ukraine and Gaza

During his speech at NATO's 75th-anniversary summit in Washington, he stressed, "If we are telling our people that we are supporting Ukraine because we are defending the international law, this is the same as what we have to do towards Gaza."

The socialist leader advocated for a consistent political stance without double standards, urging international efforts to stop this "terrible humanitarian crisis in Gaza," and proposed an international peace conference to advance Palestinian statehood.

"We need to create the conditions for an immediate and urgent ceasefire," he further stressed. "There is a real risk of escalation to Lebanon."

Sanchez also noted that he  supported "democracy, freedom and the right to exist of a country such as Ukraine."

Dive deeper

United States President Joe Biden is hosting leaders of NATO in Washington, DC, this week as the military alliance marks 75 years since its formation.

The summit, scheduled from Tuesday to Thursday, is anticipated to primarily address reaffirming NATO's steadfast support for Ukraine.

The primary focus of the agenda is providing assistance to Ukraine. During a White House press briefing on Monday, Biden's security adviser Mike Carpenter informed journalists that NATO allies are likely to unveil increased support for Ukraine, including a renewed commitment of $43.2 billion over the next year, alongside bilateral pledges from NATO nations. Additionally, allies are expected to announce the establishment of a military command center in Germany aimed at enhancing Ukrainian forces through training and equipment. The question of Ukraine's NATO membership will be a contentious issue.

Meanwhile, in another part of the world, a genocide has been ongoing for 279 days, resulting in the killing of over 38,000 people. However, this issue is not expected to be a major focus of the summit. In short, Gaza is not on the agenda of Washington's summit.