Portugal condemns “strongly Russian military action on Ukraine”, says Costa
António Costa says that Portugal “strongly condemns Russia’s military action on Ukraine”. According to the prime minister, NATO is now meeting to define what it will take to protect all Alliance countries, especially those closest to Ukraine.
Portugal rapid action from NATO and has a set of elements prepared, in five days of the integrated command for the head of operations of the present of the fair, under the command of operations of this Thursday of the fair the fifth press conference deterrence conference after the meeting with the Minister of Foreign Affairs, the Minister of Defense and the Chief of the General Staff of the Armed Forces.
“Let it be said that NATO will not intervene in Ukraine, it will only be able to carry out deterrence missions in NATO countries that border Ukraine will participate in these actions”, underlines the prime minister.
“The missions in which Portugal will participate are to deter the NATO countries bordering Ukraine”, he reinforces.
We have the opportunity to inform in detail the Chief of the General Staff of Arms, who will hear the President of the Republic. We will have throughout the day define the State Council meetings to define the application to Russia. what to do in relation to deterrence missions to protect NATO countries on the border with Ukraine and Russia and to defend the space between Iceland and Turkey”, he details.
“All are welcome”
The head of the Government also advances that a withdrawal process is prepared, which will be activated if necessary. Citizens who want to leave Ukraine for Portugal “are welcome”, as well as “their family and friends”. An evacuation plan is prepared.
“Portuguese and Luso-Ukrainians living in Ukraine, some have already arrived in Portugal and 102 are identified. We have planned evacuation plans that go through the resource of neighboring countries. Ukrainian citizens who have here, friends in those who have here, friends and acquaintances are welcome and known”, he says.
António Costa says he hopes Russia will retire and promote dialogue and peace and security in Europe.
with regard to possible effects on the Portuguese economy, Costa says it is too early to assess. “We need to know the duration of this war and Russia’s response today” the European Union goes first to Moscow.
Portugal is less dependent on other Russian energy states and this is one for the European Union to think about diversifying energy sources and accelerating the decarbonization process and better use of renewable energies, defend.
I hope that the Union assumes its mission and as it has defended in the past with the European Union, Syria and Libya, we must have the same attitude towards the Prime Minister.
“The challenge of welcoming refugees and their implementation is a duty that involves us all. In all cases we have to show solidarity”, defends António Costa.
António Costa appeals for calm: “the greater the storm, the more necessary is calm”.
The President of the Republic convened, for this Thursday, a meeting of the Superior Council of National Defensein Belém, at 12:00.
In Ukraine, the Portuguese embassy advises Portuguese citizens to leave the country across the land borders with the European Union, preferably in the direction of Poland and Romania.
Russia still on a Thursday in Ukraine in the early hours of the morning, Vladimir Putin, on a Thursday in which Vladimir Putin spoke in the province of protecting separatist separatists, who this week speaks as independents.
According to the Russian President, the objective is to demilitarize and “denazify” Ukraine.
Strong buildings were built in at least five cities in Ukraine, including the capital, Kiev, and several bombings that destroyed them. There are reports of civilian casualties.
The rush to supermarkets has already started and there is a huge queue to leave Kiev.
The Ukrainian President asks whoever wields a weapon that he knows is available to collaborate with the military. After appealing for calm, Volodymyr Zelenskiy comes to ask the population to protest against the war, advances the Reuters agency.
There are reports of 40 Ukrainian soldiers killed.