Portugal’s president calls Trump a Russian asset as Ukraine war drags on

Portugal’s president has taken a direct swipe at Donald Trump, calling him a “Russian asset” over what he sees as the former US president’s weak approach to Moscow while Ukraine continues to fight for survival.

Marcelo Rebelo de Sousa made the remark on Wednesday during a youth event hosted by his centre-right PSD party, accusing Trump of siding with Russia in the ongoing war. “The supreme leader of the world’s greatest superpower is, objectively, a Soviet, or Russian, asset. He functions as an asset,” he said, according to CNN Portugal. He went further, adding that America’s new leadership has “strategically favored the Russian Federation.”

The criticism comes after Trump’s latest attempt to intervene in the conflict ended in failure. Earlier this month he hosted a red-carpet summit in Alaska with Vladimir Putin but failed to secure any kind of ceasefire. Instead of holding the Russian president to account, Trump turned his fire on Ukraine’s Volodymyr Zelensky, claiming the Ukrainian leader “can end the war with Russia almost immediately, if he wants to, or he can continue to fight.”

Trump has long wavered in his stance on the war. While he has at times threatened Putin with “severe consequences” and higher sanctions if the assault continues, he has repeatedly stopped short of acting on those threats. His position has stood in sharp contrast to Washington’s long history of backing Kyiv, dating back to sanctions imposed on Russia after the annexation of Crimea in 2014 and strengthened after the full-scale invasion of Ukraine in 2022.

European leaders have watched closely, and many share De Sousa’s concerns. During Zelensky’s visit to Washington after the Alaska summit, seven European leaders made the trip to the White House to show their support for Ukraine, underlining fears that Trump’s softer line is undermining Western unity.

Trump’s relationship with Russia has been controversial for years. Shortly after Putin sent troops into Ukraine in 2022, Trump praised the invasion as “genius” and “savvy,” comments that drew heavy criticism both at home and abroad.

Although he has condemned Russia’s brutal bombardment of Ukrainian cities, he has also backed Moscow’s peace terms, which include Kyiv surrendering its Donbas region, recognizing Crimea’s annexation and shelving ambitions of joining NATO. In exchange, Trump has suggested Washington would help guarantee Ukraine’s security, though critics say such a deal would amount to rewarding Russian aggression.

For De Sousa, Trump’s willingness to echo Kremlin demands and single out Zelensky for blame highlights the extent to which he is drifting away from traditional American policy. “The US has gone from being allies on one side to acting as referees in the conflict,” he said, stressing that Trump seems willing to negotiate only “with one of the teams”, according to Euronews.

The Portuguese leader is not his country’s head of government, but his sharp words reflect the unease spreading through Europe as the war grinds on with no end in sight. His comments are a reminder that while Trump continues to court global attention, many in Europe see his approach as dangerously close to enabling Russia.