Copenhagen, Aug. 30, 2025 (Lusa) - Portugal's foreign minister refused to comment on Saturday on the President of Portugal's statement that he considers Donald Trump a "Soviet asset", pointing out that foreign policy is the responsibility of the government and that this is how the Portuguese position should be interpreted.

"It's not up to me, nor should I comment on the statements of the President of the Republic," replied Paulo Rangel when asked by Lusa about Marcelo Rebelo de Sousa's statement last Wednesday that Donald Trump, his counterpart in the United States of America (USA), was a "Soviet asset".

The foreign minister recalled that "the definition of Portuguese foreign policy is up to the government".

"That's how our international partners, all of them, should understand the relationship with Portugal. Putting things in that context, I don't think any further comment is necessary," he added, while attending a meeting of the foreign ministers of the European Union (EU) countries, as part of the Danish presidency of the EU Council in Copenhagen.

On Wednesday, the Portuguese head of state said that Trump functions as a "Soviet asset".

Whilst speaking at the "PSD Summer University", an initiative to train young party officials held in Castelo de Vide (Portalegre), the president discussed the new geopolitical balance and a "peculiar and complex thing" aspect of Donald Trump.

"The top leader of the world's biggest superpower is objectively a Soviet or Russian asset. He functions as an asset," he declared.

The president emphasised that the relationship between Republican Donald Trump and his Russian counterpart, Vladimir Putin, is not "an alliance based on friendship, economic, ideological or doctrinal complicity".

"I'm saying that, in objective terms, the new US leadership has strategically favoured the Russian Federation," he said.

AFE/ADB // ADB.

Lusa