Government will only discuss sending troops to Ukraine after peace plan, says Nuno Melo
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The Minister of National Defence, Nuno Melo, argues that the possible sending of Portuguese troops to Ukraine should only be discussed after a peace plan has been finalised, but that this decision "is not even being assessed". The minister spoke this Tuesday at the parliamentary Defence Committee, having been questioned by several MPs about the government's position in relation to the Donald Trump administration. In response, Nuno Melo stressed more than once that he "does not confuse" the alliance with the United States of America (USA) with a specific administration.
"When a peace plan is being discussed, that plan is implemented and then, based on that, the need to evaluate whether or not to send troops. (...) We will deal with the peace plan that we all want, and then consider the possible need for military participation, always in the context of our allies", said the Defense Minister, after being questioned by PS deputy Luís Dias.
Later, in response to BE MP Fabian Figueiredo, Nuno Melo stressed that the decision to send troops or not "is not even being evaluated". He reinforced that "peace plans must be worked on discreetly", considering this condition "incompatible with any hasty response" on the "architecture" that he considers a peace plan should have.
Regarding whether the Portuguese government continues to consider the US as an ally despite Donald Trump's positions, Nuno Melo says he is focused on "contributing to the preservation of the transatlantic bond and not creating reasons for an even greater separation". The minister believes that "the European NATO countries must increasingly invest" in order to "create conditions to depend much more on them" and see "the North Americans as partners and not just as a protective umbrella".
The issue of trust in the current US administration was also addressed by the BE deputy and, in response, the minister highlighted that Portugal does not provide aid to Ukraine "under the pretext of using its natural resources" , as stated by the US. Regarding the statements made by the recently elected German Chancellor Friedrich Merz, who defended Europe's independence from the North American country , Nuno Melo says he interpreted these statements as meaning that "there is a need to deepen, in the current geopolitical context, the European pillar of NATO and this should be what should motivate us greatly in the coming times".
From Livre, Paulo Muacho stressed that "NATO's commitment is based on a relationship of mutual trust and a guarantee of mutual defence and that, when we see those responsible questioning" this response, "we may be closing a cycle with regard to this international geopolitical context". The Defence Minister once again stressed that he sees "a virtue in the transatlantic alliance" which, in the general panorama, "has ensured us lasting peace".
Salaries, housing and training of pilotsIn his opening speech, Nuno Melo highlighted a set of measures implemented by the current government, highlighting an increase in salaries and supplements , allowing each military officer to receive "on average, two more gross salaries per year". The minister also referred to the protocol signed today for the renovation of 15 buildings for housing (in Lisbon, Porto, Oeiras, Constância, Vendas Novas and Leiria) using funds from the Recovery and Resilience Plan (RRP), in an investment of 31.1 million euros.
According to the governor, these buildings will be "returned to the cities for housing" in models of "low-cost rental, social support and temporary accommodation" for military personnel.
The minister also showed, by presenting two graphs, that, in terms of recruitment, "we have not only stagnated but also increased the number of military personnel in the Armed Forces after consecutive losses for eight years". The current number is 23,678 military personnel, an increase of 60 in about a month and a half.
On the other hand, recalled the Chega MP Nuno Simões de Melo, pilots continue to leave the Armed Forces. Nuno Melo acknowledged this problem, but assured that "there are one hundred pilots in training", of which 20 will be able to start their duties in 2027.
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