Portugal’s foreign minister discusses Ukraine war with US defence secretary

  • Lusa
  • 24 August 2022

The "cooperation between Portugal and the United States, in the framework of the shared commitment to the centrality and prosperity of the Atlantic, was also addressed," the ministry announced.

Portugal’s foreign minister, João Gomes Cravinho and US national security adviser, Jake Sullivan, discussed the situation in Ukraine and the efforts of their respective countries in the face of the Russian offensive by phone on Monday.

“The situation in Ukraine, the efforts of Portugal and the United States in the face of the Russian offensive, as well as the impact of the war on global food security were in focus in the [telephone] conversation between Minister João Cravinho and the US National Security Advisor, Jake Sullivan,” the Portuguese ministry of foreign affairs wrote on Tuesday on the social network Twitter.

The ministry added that “cooperation between Portugal and the United States, in the framework of the shared commitment to the centrality and prosperity of the Atlantic, was also addressed” in the conversation held between the two officials.

The White House also stated Jake Sullivan’s meeting with Joao Gomes Cravinho on Monday, the two “discussed their shared commitment to supporting Ukraine in defending its democracy against Russian aggression, as well as the importance of efforts to alleviate the impact of Russia’s war in Ukraine on global food security.”

The White House aid that Sullivan and Cravinho “reaffirmed the importance of cooperation between the United States and Portugal, as members of the community of Atlantic states, in promoting a peaceful and prosperous region in the Atlantic Basin.”

The military offensive launched on February 24 by Russia in Ukraine has caused the flight of almost 13 million people – over six million internally displaced and almost seven million to neighbouring countries – according to the latest data from the UN, which classified this refugee crisis as the worst in Europe since the Second World War (1939-1945).

The Russian invasion – justified by the Russian President, Vladimir Putin, to “denazify” and demilitarise Ukraine for Russia’s security – has been condemned by the international community in general, which has responded by sending arms to Ukraine and imposing sanctions on Russia in all sectors, from banking to energy and sports.

In the war, which today entered its 181st day, the UN said 5,587 civilians had been killed and 7,890 wounded, stressing that the real figures are much higher and would only be known at the end of the conflict.