Finally, a European Leader Said Out Loud What All of Them Are Likely Thinking About Trump

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In a little-covered but striking speech last week, the president of Portugal—the centrist leader of a NATO ally—referred to President Donald Trump as “ a Russian asset .”

Is the charge worth taking seriously? Yes, if it's also taken literally.

Marcelo Rebelo de Sousa, the European leader who made the remark at a conclave of Portugal's Social Democratic party, was clear and nuanced about what he meant. He emphasized that he was not calling Trump a Russian “agent,” as some conspiracy theorists have speculated. Rather, he said, “the supreme leader of the world's largest superpower is objectively a Soviet or Russian asset,” in the sense that he “has strategically benefited the Russian Federation” and thus “operates” as a Russian “asset.”

Scholars and denizens of espionage make the same distinction. An agent is a paid and witting spy; he formally, sometimes covertly, works for a foreign government. By contrast, an asset might serve a foreign government without even knowing that he's doing so. This type of asset is sometimes called a dupe or a useful idiot .

De Sousa made his remarks not long after Trump's summit last month with Russian President Vladimir Putin in Alaska , where Putin opposed a ceasefire in Ukraine, and Trump—who had threatened “consequences” unless the meeting produced a ceasefire—did nothing but shrug, smile, and treat the Kremlin dictator with the honor of an eminent world leader.

Many European officials, including senior politicians, were dismayed by Trump's obsequiousness. They have long been alarmed by Trump's unseemly admiration for Putin, his refusal to impose sanctions or other penalties on Russia for its war crimes in Ukraine (even after repeatedly threatening to do so), and his brusque attitude toward alliances, especially those, such as NATO, designed to deter and contain Russian aggression. They had hoped Trump's behavior at a meeting just before the Alaska summit —his tough words about Putin and friendly demeanor toward Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky—might signal a change in policy. But no, Trump remained Trump.

In his speech, delivered Aug. 27, de Sousa proclaimed what many fellow European leaders seem to think, and perhaps whisper in private, but can't say out loud. As long as Ukraine depends on US support for arms and intelligence, and as long as all of Europe depends on US leadership in NATO, they have to keep Trump happy enough to stay in the alliance and not to abandon Ukraine altogether—and that requires publicly thanking him and praising him, and so far, the stratagem has sort of worked.

Other European leaders, notably French President Emmanuel Macron and German Chancellor Friedrich Merz , have publicly said at times that they can no longer rely on America's security guarantees and thus must provide for the continent's defense on their own. Still, they haven't gone so far as to say that Trump has joined the other side—not in public anyway.