Portugal slams Rutte for ‘regrettable’ claim that Lisbon downplays Russian threat
Portugal’s foreign ministry on Tuesday slammed Mark Rutte after the NATO chief said that for Lisbon, Russia was a distant and less relevant threat. “Portugal, its Government and its people have never been in any doubt about which side of history they stand on,” the ministry said on X. “It is regrettable that the NATO […]
Portugal’s foreign ministry has expressed disappointment with Mark Rutte’s assertion that Russia poses a distant and less relevant threat to Lisbon compared to Warsaw. The ministry emphasized that Portugal’s government and people have never doubted their stance on the side of history. Rutte had previously suggested that Southern European countries like Spain and Portugal view the Russian aggression as remote, stating that Russia’s latest missiles take 5 minutes longer to reach Lisbon than Warsaw.
NATO spokesperson Allison Hart clarified that all Allies agree that Russia is a threat, and the Secretary General often highlights the proximity of this threat to all Allies. Portugal and Spain have provided significant aid to Ukraine since the full-scale attack in 2022, though Portugal’s contribution remains lower than Germany and other frontline countries.
A recent Eurobarometer poll revealed that a substantial majority of both Portuguese and Spanish citizens view Russia’s invasion of Ukraine as a security threat to the EU.
Written by urgent.news from Politico EU's reporting — not their text. Machine-written — may contain errors; check the original before relying on it.
