The Minister of Foreign Affairs, Augusto Santos Silva, was on the Primeira Jornal stand at the SIC on Wednesday to talk about the situation in Ukraine. The minister warned that Russia was “going on a very dangerous path”, and believed that the path of diplomacy could win.
In response to a question about the degree of certainty that exists that the sanctions, approved by the United Kingdom, the United States and the European Union, will halt Russia’s progress, the Minister admitted “We’re not sure”. In this sense, he explained, Sanctions represent “the first response to concrete action by Russia.””, from the “unlawful recognition” of the independence of the Ukrainian republics of Lugansk and Donetsk.
He stressed that the West is ready “to go as far as is necessary, for example, impose economic sanctions on Russia on a scale never seen before, such as cutting off the means of international financing for the Russian state and seriously undermining Russia’s position in the world.” Commerce.”.
“Hopefully we don’t have to get there, but we’re willing to get there if needed.‘, he confirmed.
Santos Silva explained that Portugal does not have, in this case, a “national sanctions policy, but a European policy”, that the sanctions approved by the European Union (EU) apply to national territory.
For about four hundred Russian citizens [visados pelas sanções]They are advancing no matter where they are, whether in Portugal, Russia or the Netherlands, he said, stressing the coordinated action between “the United States of America, the United Kingdom and the European Union.”
Given the position of the Moscow government, the minister was asked about the work of NATO and the intervention of Portugal. Santos Silva emphasized, from the outset, that “NATO has a policy of deterrence, it is a defensive allianceBut, citing the famous article 5, he said, assaulting one is assaulting everyone.
“Russia knows that military aggression against NATO territory, that is, against a NATO member state, represents military aggression against all 30 member states. Let’s hope we don’t get to that point.”
“What we are doing within the framework of NATO is strengthening deterrence in the east, because In the East, we are currently experiencing a security crisisCurrently, our ‘participation’ – as one of NATO’s 30 members – in the military sphere means ‘three things’.
“The first is our Air Force [que] It takes part in reassurance measures in the northeast, and secondly, this year we are part of the highest preparedness part of the rapid response of NATO, and exercises are planned on the eastern side, in the Black Sea countries. This is our commitment and concern for availability, We are not talking about concrete actions with a fixed date“, Locate.
Diplomacy can still win
Minister Santos Silva, who rejected Vladimir Putin’s insulting of the French President, citing the characterization made by the UN Secretary-General, emphasized in “After escalating acts of intimidation, Russia committed an absolutely reprehensible act that threatens the sovereignty and territorial integrity of an independent state“.
However, “Diplomacy does not agree, not have tea together. Yesterday we had a moment of great diplomacy, which was a moment of firmness: “In the face of this action by Russia, our response was this,” punishing personalities, banning imports from the separatist regions and, above all, closing the spigot of international financing of the Russian state..
“Let’s see if Russia realizes that it is following a very dangerous path for all of us, but also for it, which will have very high costs,” Minister Santos Silva concluded.
Next week, the minister will also go to Parliament, it was announced today Leaders Conferencethe body which replaces the plenary meeting outside the period of effective functioning of the Assembly.
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