Foreign Minister Antonio Costa warned that Russia would invade Ukraine at 4.18am on February 24, 48 minutes after the first Russian bombs fell on Kiev.
According to the “Expresso” newspaper, the Portuguese prime minister was aware that the war had been confirmed since January. The invasion will begin a month later and he was caught in the Algarve when he was resting in the first days after the election campaign.
Holidays were interrupted, and shortly afterward Costa moved to Lisbon. He tried to warn the president, but Marcelo Rebello de Sousa fell asleep. The chief executive, who answered the phone, later warned the president.
The invasion of Ukraine is not a new idea. On January 25, in the midst of yet another election campaign, European Commission President Antonio Costa was warned by a security line that US intelligence believed Russian military action was imminent. It is necessary to prepare a joint reaction.
Costa Rouge warned Rio during the campaign
On the same day, Costa Augusto invited Santos Silva and Rui Rio. The PS leader agreed with the PSD leader that the matter would not be the subject of the election campaign. not that.
Sanctions on Russia and the possibility of an invasion of Ukraine were discussed at the highest level among the leaders of the European Union, the United Kingdom, the United States and Canada. However, the Portuguese authorities did not stand still.
The government provided itself with a list of oligarchy close to Putin and ran it. The Foreigners and Borders Service scrutinized applications for gold visas with a fine tooth comb. He found a common name and immediately suspended his national process.
None of the names mentioned in the Banco de Portuguese National Bank account holders were found. On the military side, everything was ready to follow the measures ordered by NATO.
US intelligence confirmed in the early hours of February 24. Putin announced a “special military operation” in Ukraine, half an hour after the bombs fell on Kiev. Europe was at war again.