Recent remarks by Portuguese President Marcelo Rebelo de Sousa and European Council President António Costa have placed Portugal at the center of international attention this week regarding the global response to US and Russian leadership.
On August 27, 2025, President Rebelo de Sousa issued one of his strongest criticisms yet of US President Donald Trump, declaring, “The supreme leader of the world’s greatest superpower is, objectively, a Soviet or Russian asset. He functions as an asset.”
President Rebelo de Sousa argued that Trump’s leadership has been “strategically favorable” to Russia, accusing him of failing to enforce sanctions against Moscow while openly undermining Ukraine’s leadership.
Speaking at a youth event organized by his Social Democratic Party (PSD), Rebelo de Sousa warned that Europe had underestimated the rise of “Trumpism” and that this underestimation now carried grave consequences for European security.
In Portugal, national broadcasters emphasized how the controversial phrase “Trump é ativo russo” (“Trump is a Russian asset”) quickly reverberated worldwide, as the international media is amplifying heated remarks, calling attention to the unusual bluntness of a head of state openly referring to a US president as an “agent” of Russia.
Marcelo Rebelo de Sousa, who has served as President of Portugal since 2016, is known for his outspoken and often unconventional style of communication. No official reaction has been recorded from Washington.
Meanwhile, in Brussels, European Council President António Costa, formerly Prime Minister of Portugal, issued a sharp condemnation of Russian President Vladimir Putin following the August 28 missile strikes on Kyiv that hit civilian areas and damaged the EU delegation offices in Ukraine’s capital. Costa said he was “horrified” by the attack, which he described as “deliberate.”
“The EU will not be intimidated. Russia’s aggression only strengthens our resolve to stand with Ukraine and its people,” Costa declared.
His statement followed earlier comments this year in which Costa expressed frustration at Moscow’s unwillingness to engage in peace efforts and insisted that Europe must play the central role in shaping its own security architecture.
The remarks by both Portuguese leaders underline the growing unease in Europe over US–Russia dynamics. Rebelo de Sousa’s language underscored the erosion of confidence in Trump’s ability to counter Moscow, while Costa’s condemnation reinforced the EU’s determination to resist intimidation and defend Ukraine.
António Costa, former Portuguese Prime Minister, became President of the European Council in 2024, where he now represents the EU on major diplomatic and security issues.
PAJ/Staff
