“Trump is a Russian asset – and my presidency hasn’t gone the way I’d hoped"
The President of the Republic, Marcelo Rebelo de Sousa, has given a speech calling for
peace, climate action, dialogue and multilateralism, asking the world not to resign itself, to Trump. The head of state
called for the formation of a Palestinian state and peace "in the invaded Ukraine, in war-torn Sudan" and "also in the Middle East, with the hope that the ceasefire will be effective and contribute to a lasting peace agreement that respects the populations, international law, of the United Nations resolutions, namely the establishment of two States."
He made no mention of the wars that have ended since Trump took office.
Portugal’s president,
soon to be former President, described Mr Trump as a Russian asset.
It is not a new notion; Mr Trump has been thus described many times in the past –
but not by sitting presidents of Europe. He stressed that he intends to “step away from politics completely” when he ceases to be president on March 9 next year, and plans to teach in primary and secondary schools, participating only in the Council of State and in official ceremonies – and he admitted that
his 10-year mandate really hasn’t gone the way he had imagined. While there is no proof that Trump is a Russian agent, de Sousa continued, stating that “objectively, the new American leadership has strategically benefited the Russian Federation.”
That said, there has been no immediate comment from government quarters on Marcelo’s speech – and absolutely no reaction to his assessment of Donald Trump. The only comment so far has come from euro MP Tânger Correia (CHEGA) who believes Marcelo “has crossed a red line.
“It is beyond the jurisdiction of a Portuguese President of the Republic to say such a thing,” Correia told Diário de Notícias, adding that the statements will have no impact on bilateral relations “because Marcelo has no credibility whatsoever” and the situation “is so surreal that it cannot even be taken seriously”.
8/30/2025 11:28 AM (edited)