Russia Reacts Harshly to Montenegro's NATO Accession

Montenegro formally became a NATO member yesterday, and Moscow was quick to issue warnings about severed cooperation and countermeasures, reports RT CG, agency Patria.

As of yesterday, Montenegro is the 29th member of the Alliance, marking the first expansion of the military-political alliance in eight years. Russia does not accept Montenegro's accession to NATO, which the Kremlin has labelled a primary security threat.

Montenegrin Foreign Minister Srđan Darmanović had not even handed over the ratification instruments to US Under Secretary of State for Political Affairs Thomas Shannon before the Russian Ministry of Foreign Affairs announced it would respond to Montenegro's NATO membership.

As in previous months, they warned of "anti-Russian hysteria and propaganda from Podgorica".

- Moscow reserves the right to respond to Podgorica's "hostile policy" due to the formal completion of Montenegro's accession procedure to NATO, according to a statement published on the Russian ministry's website.

Official Moscow has not specified what measures are involved, but it has recently become clear that Russia's response will be economic and political.

Following the handover of ratification instruments, a message also arrived from Moscow stating that after joining NATO, the cooperation program with Montenegro, especially in the military-technical sphere, might be revised.

- Russia cannot cooperate with Montenegro under the same conditions, including in the military-technical sphere. It is not excluded that a number of programs will be terminated - stated Viktor Ozerov, head of the Federation Council Committee for Defense and Security, for Sputnik.

- Whether some programs will be terminated or revised will be shown by the review. In any case, the agreement with Montenegro will be revised after its accession to NATO - he promised.

However, he noted that Montenegro's membership in the Alliance does not automatically mean the termination of agreements, citing cooperation with Turkey as an example.

- However, in Russia's national security doctrine, established by President (Vladimir Putin), NATO is one of the main threats to the country's national security, and from that point of view, the agreement with Montenegro will be considered - said Ozerov.

Russian media, as expected, did not report favourably on Montenegro's NATO accession yesterday.

Jelena Guskova, head of the Centre for the Study of Contemporary Balkan Crisis at the Institute of Slavic Studies of the Russian Academy of Sciences, told RT (Russia Today) that the main reason NATO is inviting Montenegro into its ranks is to counter Russian influence in the Balkans.

- Europe and the US insisted on Montenegro joining NATO solely to spite Russia, to show it that even its most loyal friends are turning their backs on it. This also explains the anti-Russian rhetoric of the Montenegrin leadership, which accused Moscow of organizing a coup against (Milo) Đukanović - Guskova told RT, which in its article on Montenegro's accession to NATO notes that critics in the US are questioning how much the small Balkan country can contribute to the Alliance.

Tsargrad TV, which has often reported on events in Montenegro leading up to the parliamentary elections on October 16, and especially after them when the case of an attempted terrorist attack was opened, broadcast the statement of political analyst Sergey Mikheev that by joining NATO, Montenegro has been drawn into a potential global conflict and thus become a potential target.

- Montenegro has joined NATO, but it has not secured its safety in doing so. By joining the Alliance, which is a potential enemy of Russia and the world, Montenegro is entering a geopolitical conflict, thereby becoming a potential target for attack - Mikheev told TV Tsargrad, adding that Montenegro will have to share NATO's responsibility if a war breaks out.

He believes that a ban on entry for Montenegrin officials into Russia will not entail sanctions for Russian tourists, because, as he stated, they are an important part of Montenegro's budget revenue. TV Tsargrad also reports that Russian political analysts assess that by joining NATO, the Montenegrin government has shown loyalty to Washington.

- Ukraine is an example of how far loyalty to the US can lead a country. I don't think (Donald) Trump actively wants to develop relations with Montenegro. NATO does not have enough money to give to Eastern Europe, and they are asking for money from the West - said Vyacheslav Matuzov.

Alexei Pushkov, Chairman of the Committee for Information Policy in the Duma, called Montenegro's NATO membership a "small success in a moment of large-scale disagreement." He stated, as reported by TV Tsargrad, that Montenegro is becoming a NATO member at a time when tensions between NATO and the White House are evident.

We remind you that Montenegrin Prime Minister Duško Marković, who led Montenegro's delegation at the NATO reception, said that yesterday was a great day for Montenegro.

- Today we celebrate the fact that decisions about us will never again be made behind our backs. Membership in NATO means lasting stability for us and the opportunity for further progress of our society. I would like to thank the US for its constant support of our country's accession to NATO - Marković said, among other things.

The Prime Minister of Montenegro also had a message for the citizens of Montenegro.

- Let us unite and seize the opportunity to make Montenegro a country where life will be better; where there will be even more democracy, even more rule of law, more equal opportunities for all.

Montenegro is only the third of the 29 members, after Germany and Spain, to join NATO independently, rather than as part of a group of countries.