PM reiterates ‘firm support on all fronts’ in phone call with Zelensky
This phone call between Luís Montenegro and Volodymyr Zelensky took place in the context of the third anniversary of Russia's invasion of Ukraine.
The Portuguese prime minister spoke on the phone on Wednesday with the President of Ukraine, to whom he said he was grateful for everything “the Ukrainian people have done for Europe”, reiterating his “firm support on all fronts”.
This phone call between Luís Montenegro and Volodymyr Zelensky took place in the context of the third anniversary of Russia’s invasion of Ukraine, which was marked on Monday, according to a source in the prime minister’s office.
“I’ve just spoken to President Zelensky. I thanked him for everything the Ukrainian people have done for Europe and reiterated our firm support on all fronts. A just and lasting peace presupposes effective security guarantees for Ukraine, the involvement of Europe and transatlantic partners,” wrote Luís Montenegro on the social network X.
On Monday, the Portuguese prime minister had planned to take part in a summit of international leaders in Kiev by videoconference, but technical problems prevented the connection and he sent his speech to all the participants.
In the text also sent to newsrooms, Montenegro argued that a “strong and independent” Ukraine is an essential factor in ensuring the “stability and security of Europe and the transatlantic area”.
“From day one, Europe and our transatlantic partners have stood shoulder to shoulder with Ukraine, providing political, military, economic and humanitarian support,” the Portuguese prime minister said during the meeting, according to the same press release.
On Tuesday, the secretary general of the opposition Socialist Party (PS), Pedro Nuno Santos, said that if he had been prime minister he would have been in Kiev on the third anniversary of Russia’s invasion of Ukraine.
“Unequivocally, of course I would have been in Kiev if I were prime minister, for the simple reason that this is one of the most important issues occupying the European Union at the moment and one that interests us all,” he said, after being asked if he would have travelled to the Ukrainian capital if he had been in Luís Montenegro’s place.
For the PS leader, “Portugal cannot be left out of the equation” and must “guarantee all the IT conditions for the meetings to take place by videoconference” with the participation of the Portuguese head of government.
