Manuel de Almeida/LUSA
Luís Montenegro, upon arrival in Ukraine
“Few countries in Europe and the world have such a strong expression of support for Ukraine as Portugal”, said Luís Montenegro, this Saturday morning, in Kiev, where he will be on a one-day visit.
In a visit that had not been made public, for security reasons, Luis Montenegro spoke to journalists upon arrival at Kiev train station, where he arrived shortly after 8am (6am in Lisbon), two days after a European Council that approved one for Ukraine in the coming days.
The prime minister stated that Portugal stands out for being at Ukraine’s side from the first minute, “with very significant support from a political, military and financial point of view.”
“I would say that in Portugal it is practically consensualour population’s support for Ukraine. And, even from a political-parliamentary point of view, I wouldn’t say it’s consensual, but it’s very close. Few countries in Europe and the world have such a strong expression of support for Ukraine as Portugal“, he praised.
“This visit is above all the expression – and not exactly an announcement – of a support that has been continued since the first minute in which Russia’s unjustified, unfair aggression began, that Portugal has been on the side of Ukraine and the Ukrainians”, Luís Montenegro also stated.
Regarding European money directed to Ukraine, the Portuguese prime minister added that, at this time, “Ukraine needs financial support, it is not worth ignoring it”.
“Portugal has done it from a bilateral point of view, Portugal has helped Ukraine in multiple programs of the most varied nature: from a humanitarian point of view, from a social point of view, from a military point of view, from a political point of view, but Portugal also has a relationship that is a close relationship between our communities and the Governments also have the obligation to represent and express for the people what the entire people feel”, he stated.
Portuguese Prime Minister Luís Montenegro arrived in Kiev this morning, accompanied by Defense Minister Nuno Melo, for a one-day visit to Ukraine, which includes a meeting with Volodymyr Zelenskyy.
This is Luís Montenegro’s first visit to Ukraine – a country invaded by Russia on February 24, 2022 – since heading the PSD/CDS-PP Government (April 2024) and it takes place around a year and a half after the Ukrainian president was in Portugal, in May last year.
The Prime Minister also has a meeting scheduled with his Ukrainian counterpart, Yulia Svyrydenkoand with the president of parliament, Ruslan Stefanchuk.
