Decision comes almost exactly two year since Russia invaded Ukraine
Almost exactly two years since Russia launched its invasion of Ukraine, laying waste countless villages, towns, cities and communities – not to mention causing the deaths of so many people on both sides – Lisbon Municipal Assembly has approved the termination of the ‘Protocol of Friendship and Cooperation between the Portuguese capital and the Russian city of Moscow’.
The death of Russian opposition leader Alexei Navalny in a prison camp in the Arctic Circle appears to have been the ‘final straw’ that settled rumblings in this direction that have been ongoing since the early days.
Back in April of 2022, Mayor Carlos Moedas decided to suspend the partnership as a “completely symbolic gesture”, because of the conflict.
A proposal to withdraw it completely followed in 2023 – with PCP communists on the council voting against, and an abstention from an independent councillor.
And now it has been finally approved – in other words, ‘there is no going back’.
For what it is worth, PCP communists were still against the proposal, this time joined by PEV (the greens).
Abstentions were logged from a few PS and independent councillors, as well as the CHEGA delegate – with Bloco de Esquerda, LIVRE, PS, PSD, CDS-PP, PAN, IL and MPT voting in favour.
The final wording referred to the protocol being annulled “until the withdrawal of the army of the Russian Federation from Ukrainian territory, for the independence of Ukrainian territory to be recognised by the Russian Federation and for the Russian Federation and its agents to be tried for war crimes at the International Court of Justice”.
Communist MP Pedro Frias pointed out that none of this really makes any difference, bearing in mind that for “more than two decades there has been very little in the way of cooperation and friendship between the two cities“.
For the PCP, the termination of the protocol does not “contribute to the effort to promote dialogue for peace” and “encourages ignorance, misinformation and misunderstanding“.
But for the PSD, the decision reflects this year’s celebration of the 50th anniversary of Portugal’s April 25 Revolution, which finally freed Portugal from decades of dictatorship.
Said the party’s Filipa Roseta: “We are doing this to fulfil April. It is not against the people of Moscow, it is in their favour, because it is precisely political and symbolic.”
CHEGA’s reasoning for abstaining was that the proposal, in councillor Bruno Mascarenhas’ opinion, “goes beyond what was required”: “suspension of the protocol is the appropriate measure that should be maintained”, he said.
Meantime, activist Bill Browder – once described as Russia’s most wanted man – has warned that Vladimir Putin has lost all restraint with Navalny’s murder. According to Browder, Putin will now launch a ‘killing spree’ of his enemies, with at least 12 living in UK already on his alleged hit list.
Source material: LUSA/ Daily Mail/ New Yorker
