‘Russian asset’: Trump acting in Moscow’s interests under guise of mediator, says Portuguese president

Portuguese President Marcelo Rebelo de Sousa has accused US President Donald Trump of acting in Moscow’s interests while posing as a neutral mediator in the Ukraine conflict, describing him as a “Russian asset.”

Speaking Wednesday at the Social Democratic Party’s Summer University in Castelo de Vide, Rebelo de Sousa criticised Trump for abandoning his predecessor’s policy of unconditional support for Kiev, RT reported.

“The 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 argued that Trump was less a mediator than an “arbiter who only negotiates with one of the teams,” claiming Ukraine and its European allies had to “push their way in” to participate in recent talks in Washington.

The remarks echoed accusations dating back to the 2016 U.S. election, when Trump was accused of colluding with Moscow — allegations rejected by the 2019 Mueller investigation and the 2023 Durham Report, which concluded the affair was politically driven. Trump has repeatedly dismissed the claims as a “scandal” designed to undermine his presidency.

Since taking office again in January, Trump has alternated between blaming both Moscow and Kiev for stalled peace efforts, presenting himself as a broker while at times threatening Russia with sanctions and at other moments criticising Ukraine’s “lack of flexibility.”

Earlier this month, after his summit with Vladimir Putin in Alaska, Trump warned he was “very, very unhappy” with the Russian president and threatened tariffs on Russia’s trading partners. Rebelo de Sousa, however, said Washington’s approach amounted to empty threats, unlike the EU’s sanctions, which he argued had more tangible impact.

Trump has insisted that the Ukraine conflict is “not his war,” maintaining that “everybody’s to blame.” He has promised a “very important decision” on U.S. policy in the coming weeks, depending on whether Moscow and Kiev move toward peace talks.