Montenegro criticizes Mark Rutte: "He was unfortunate, careless, and unaware of a reality he should know"

Luís Montenegro criticized NATO Secretary General Mark Rutte for being uninformed about Portugal's stance on the Ukraine conflict. Rutte's comments suggested that Spain and Portugal view the conflict as distant, which drew backlash from Portuguese officials. Montenegro emphasized that Portugal strongly supports Ukraine, with 92% of the population opposing Russia's actions. Rutte later clarified that he was referring to public sentiment, not political leaders, but this explanation did not satisfy the Portuguese government. Montenegro expressed disappointment that Rutte did not better understand Portugal's reality before making such statements.