The US wants Spain to host six American destroyers in Rota and not four as before

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At 4:12 p.m., the

turned the corner of the road that leads to the steps of

.

Pedro Sánchez waits at the end of them.

He waves his right hand in the distance, because Joe Biden still takes a few seconds to get out of the car.

Sánchez, unlike what is usual, goes down the stairs and greets his guest, the

president at the foot of the stairs and not above.

Thus began an expected meeting at La Moncloa in which Biden told Sánchez that the US will increase the number of destroyers it has at the

base from four to six .

The meeting is the first bilateral meeting between the two leaders.

Until now there had only been meetings on the margins of summits in

, like that already famous meeting that led to a half-minute walk.

Today it was a face-to-face meeting.

Important.

Crucial.

Many issues on the table, all under the auspices of the NATO summit being held in Madrid.

The meeting that Pedro Sánchez and Joe Biden are starring in La Moncloa this afternoon has different issues on the table, ranging from the holding of the NATO summit to the expansion of Castilian by the US.

But one of the most important will be that the US president will inform Sánchez that the Spanish base at Rota will now house 6 American destroyers instead of the four it currently houses.

Some ships whose mission is to reinforce the military presence of their country and of NATO in the area.

This was announced this Tuesday by the White House national security adviser, Jake Sullivan, at a press conference on the plane that takes Biden on his way to Spain to attend the NATO summit, reports Efe, and this is planned. that is remembered in the appointment that will begin shortly in La Moncloa.

This intention to increase the number of destroyers was also anticipated at the end of March by the main NATO military commander and head of the US European Command (EUCOM), General Tod Wolters, who stated that the base was ready and prepared to accommodate these two new American ships.

Rota is part of the anti-aircraft defense system that NATO is developing.

Until now, the Rota base is home to the American destroyers USS Arleigh Burke, USS Ross, USS Porter, and USS Roosevelt.

The last to arrive was the USS Paul Ignatius (DDG 117), a guided missile destroyer, which arrived on June 17.

The current agreement, approved by the Council of Ministers in October 2012, contemplates the deployment of four US destroyers at the Rota base (Cádiz).

Said agreement must be modified.

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• USA

• Joe Biden

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• Pedro Sanchez