Portugal’s President Marcelo Rebelo de Sousa has made it clear that any military intervention in Greenland by the US that violates international law would be unacceptable for the country.
Speaking to journalists at the end of an economic forum in Lisbon, Marcelo also addressed Portugal’s reaction to the controversial US military operation in Venezuela earlier this month, which resulted in the capture of President Nicolás Maduro by U.S. forces – a move that has sparked criticism worldwide as challenging the United Nations Charter and the rules-based international order.
Asked to describe Portugal’s stance, the President said the government’s position, agreed with him early on, was “very simple: respect for international law and the United Nations Charter.” He added that Portuguese authorities were conscious from the start that the action “raised questions about the Charter of the United Nations.”
Turning to the ongoing debate over Greenland – a semi‑autonomous territory of Denmark and a NATO ally facing renewed interest from US president Donald Trump, who has escalated his threats to take control of the territory in recent days – Marcelo stressed that Portugal has never said it would send troops there, but understands that some NATO partners may want a defensive presence.
“And what does such a presence mean? Solidarity. We are here because NATO is a community of solidarity, and we stand in solidarity. NATO is a defensive alliance. If we are united in defence against external attacks, it only makes sense that we are also united in guarding against internal disputes,” he said.
However, the president was firm on Portugal’s red line: “Anything involving intervention in Greenland that signifies disrespect for international law, the United Nations Charter, and NATO commitments cannot be accepted and signed by Portugal.”
Marcelo questioned how an alliance can be credible externally if it is not united internally, urging greater European unity.
