Spanish Prime Minister Pedro Sánchez has sharply criticised the European Union for what he describes as a damaging double standard: the bloc's willingness to impose sanctions on Russia for its invasion of Ukraine contrasts starkly with its reluctance to take similar measures against Israel over military operations in Gaza and Lebanon.
Speaking at an informal EU summit in Cyprus, Sánchez warned that this inconsistency erodes the Union's moral authority. "Something that is delegitimising us, not only in the eyes of the outside world but also in the eyes of our own societies, is this double standard, this double yardstick that Europe is using in Ukraine and the Middle East," he said on Friday.
The Spanish leader's remarks come days after Madrid renewed its push to terminate the EU-Israel Association Agreement, citing Israel's alleged violations of human rights obligations under Article 2 of the pact. An internal European Commission review last year found Israel in breach of those commitments, but no EU member state has yet backed sanctions. Germany and Italy, both crucial for any qualified majority vote on a partial suspension, remain undecided.
Credibility at Stake
Sánchez framed the issue as a test of the EU's founding principles. "We cannot remain united in supporting, as we should be, a people (in Ukraine) subjected to an attempted invasion and a challenge to their territorial integrity, and fail to do the same in the Middle East. Especially when we are talking about Lebanon, Palestine, Gaza and the West Bank," he said.
The Spanish premier argued that the EU, conceived as a peace project, must consistently demand respect for international law. "If we don't, it becomes the law of the strongest, which is what we are witnessing. This leads to a weaker, much more insecure and more uncertain world," he added, referring to the US-Israeli decision to strike Iran, which he has repeatedly called "illegal."
Israel has rejected the criticism, maintaining that its offensives in Gaza and Lebanon are necessary to neutralise threats from Hamas and Hezbollah, both backed by Iran. Meanwhile, US President Donald Trump announced on Thursday that a fragile ceasefire between Israel and Hezbollah had been extended by three weeks, a development that French President Emmanuel Macron, also attending the Cyprus summit, welcomed as an opportunity to bolster Lebanon's stability.
The EU's internal divisions on the issue are stark. While some member states, including Spain and Ireland, have pushed for a tougher stance, others remain cautious. The lack of unity, Sánchez warned, weakens the bloc's political legitimacy. "Unfortunately, some governments are in favour, others are against. There is no unity on this issue, and the result is a weakening of the European Union's position, at least in terms of our political legitimacy and our credibility when it comes to defending fair causes like that of Ukraine."
The Spanish leader also highlighted the broader consequences of inaction. "In the end, that comes with a price in terms of lives, the displacement of refugees and, of course, the economic consequences that, unfortunately, all governments are now facing as a result of unilateral and illegal decisions made by third countries."
The summit in Cyprus also touched on energy security and defence, with EU leaders grappling with the fallout from the Middle East conflict. The EU's energy chief has warned of years-long recovery as the crisis drives up costs, a concern that resonates across the continent. Meanwhile, Ukraine continues to press for full integration into the EU, with President Volodymyr Zelenskyy recently rejecting symbolic membership in favour of concrete steps.
Sánchez's call for consistency reflects a growing frustration among some EU capitals that the bloc's response to global crises is shaped more by geopolitical convenience than principle. Whether the Union can bridge this gap remains an open question, but the Spanish premier's warning is clear: without a unified and principled approach, Europe's voice on the world stage will continue to weaken.
