It comes as Portugal has yet to make a firm decision on whether it will expel any Russian diplomats following the poisoning of former double agent Sergei Skripal in the UK.
The USA and about 24 other countries, including 16 from the European Union (EU) have announced they are expelling more than a hundred Russian ‘diplomats’ in support of the UK, Lusa News Agency reports.
The president of Portugal, Marcelo Rebelo de Sousa, has said that the decision to recall the Portuguese ambassador back from Moscow was a “warning” and a “strong decision by the Portuguese state”.
Speaking on Television on Wednesday, the Portuguese foreign minister Augusto Santos Silva said that recalling the ambassador for consultations was the most adequate measure to defend the country’s interests and express Portugal’s position on the international stage.
NATO has meanwhile also slashed the size of its Russian mission by a third, removing accreditation from seven Russian staff and rejecting three other pending applications in response to the poisoning.
Nato secretary general, Jens Stoltenbe said the move sends a “clear and very strong message there is a cost to Russia’s reckless actions”.
Last week, London expelled 23 Russian embassy employees in retaliation for the attack in Salisbury.
The Portuguese government has not followed suit but it said on Monday that it has “taken note” of the concerted decision by many EU governments.
Foreign minister, Augusto Santos Silva, said on Tuesday that the Portuguese government’s decision about the ‘Skripal case’ is “in progress” and will be governed by the defence of the interests of the nation, Europe and NATO, but also by “autonomy, prudence and firmness”.
“This is a process that is probably still in its infancy, it is necessary to avoid any escalating logic. As the NATO Secretary-General has said, we must be firm with Russia, but at the same time maintain political dialogue with Russia. This is the orientation of Portugal.”
Segei Skripal and his daughter who was visiting from Moscow were the victims of a nerve agent attack on 4 March 2018, in Salisbury, which has been blamed on Russia.
Russia has denied any involvement.