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Russia threatens retaliation as Montenegro becomes 29th NATO member

By David Brunnstrom

REUTERS

 

U.S. Vice President Mike Pence shakes hands with Montenegro's Prime Minister Dusko Markovic after a bilateral meeting at the White House in Washington, U.S., June 5, 2017. REUTERS/Joshua Roberts

 

WASHINGTON (Reuters) - Montenegro became the 29th member of NATO on Monday and was praised by the United States for sticking to its path of joining the Western military alliance in spite of Russian pressure.

 

Even as Montenegrin Prime Minister Dusko Markovic was in Washington for a State Department ceremony to mark the accession, Russia warned of retaliation against Montenegro's "hostile course" and condemned the country's "anti-Russian hysteria."

 

After the ceremony, Markovic met U.S. Vice President Mike Pence at the White House, but not President Donald Trump, officials said.

 

Markovic's first encounter with Trump raised eyebrows last month, when the U.S. president pushed him aside at a NATO summit at which he demanded that allies boost defence spending to ease the burden on the United States.

 

Markovic told Pence that Montenegro aimed to meet the NATO target of spending 2 percent of its GDP on defence by 2024.

 

Russia's Foreign Ministry said Montenegro bore "full responsibility" after joining EU sanctions against Russia in 2014.

 

"In the light of the hostile course chosen by the Montenegrin authorities, the Russian side reserves the right to take retaliatory measures on a reciprocal basis. In politics, just as in physics, for every action there is an opposite reaction," the ministry said in a statement.

 

At the State Department, U.S. Under Secretary of State Thomas Shannon praised Montenegro, saying it "should be commended ... for asserting its sovereign right to choose its own alliances even in the face of concerted foreign pressure."

 

"As President Trump said in his February 28th remarks to a joint session of Congress, 'America respects the right of all nations to chart their own path,'" Shannon said. 

 

NATO Secretary-General Jens Stoltenberg said Montenegro's accession was good for international peace and security.  

 

"(It) sends a signal to other states that seek membership that if a country truly reforms, if it promotes democracy, strengthen the rule of law, modernizes its armed forces, and contributes to our collective defence, it too can join the alliance," he said.

 

Ties between Montenegro, an ex-Yugoslav republic and EU hopeful, and Russia, previously its key Slavic and Orthodox Christian ally and a top investor, worsened after the country sought to join NATO, which was set up in 1949 as an anti-Moscow alliance.

 

Last October, Montenegro said Russian spy agencies and local pro-Russian parties conspired to halt the bid, assassinate the-then Prime Minister Milo Djukanovic and bring the opposition to power. The Kremlin dismissed that as absurd.

 

Last week Montenegro's foreign ministry summoned the Russian ambassador to protest over the brief detention of a deputy from the ruling Democratic Party of Socialists at a Moscow airport and Markovic said the Kremlin had a secret list of Montenegrin officials banned from entering Russia.

 

Pence expressed strong U.S. support for the Euro-Atlantic aspirations of Western Balkan states "and emphasized that all countries should be free to choose their allies without interference from third countries," a White House statement said.

 

(Reporting by David Brunnstrom; additional reporting by Steve Holland; Editing by Phil Berlowitz)

 

-- © Copyright Reuters 2017-06-06

[ilostmypassword]

I expect that in support, Trump will be withdrawing the US ambassador to Montenegro. Support for Russia, that is.

[fvw53]

Population of this country is 622.000 and the military currently maintains a force of 1,950 active duty members.

 

[Slain]

Yes, so from being a weak country easily pushed around and intimidated. It has now joined Nato and become friends to a democratically elected (mostly)  allies with more influence and resources than the depleting ones of Putin's Russia.

 

NATO threatens no one other than bullying dictators, however cleverly they try it on.

Edited June 6, 2017 by Slain

[hawker9000]

What in the world does Putin think he has to say about another sovereign nation's decision to join NATO?  The more impotent Russia becomes, the more belligerent Putin gets.  

 

 

"Trump will be withdrawing the US ambassador to Montenegro."

 

 ??  

 

OK, who opened up the asylum and let the inmates out?

[NanLaew]

Isn't this the statesman that Trump unceremoniously bundled out of his way in Brussels a couple of weeks back.

 

 

[tomwct]

Congratulations! Be sure and pay your 2% Dues because most of your fellow members don't! 

[ddavidovsky]

Scrap NATO. Russia is no longer a threat. The Cold War is over. Communism is dead. Has nobody noticed?

 

Russia and the west now urgently need to be on the same side and there's no reason at all why they can't be. And don't bring up Ukraine - that issue involves ethnic Russians and is their business.

[stevenl]

1 minute ago, ddavidovsky said:

<snip>

 

Russia and the west now urgently need to be on the same side and there's no reason at all why they can't be. <snip>

Both, together with China, are trying to stay/become the biggest power.

 

IMO, at the moment it looks like slowly slowly China is buying their way into Africa and big parts of Asia, and are on the winning hand. Russia is desperate, and only doing this for domestic political reasons, because they don't have the economic power to sustain this, and the west is faltering right now, due to the USA's lets say unclear direction.

[Stargeezr]

Is Ukraine  Nato Member?  If it is then why is Russian people still fighting in that country and why is

the Crimean  aea still under Russian control?

Geezer

[Credo]

18 hours ago, tomwct said:

Congratulations! Be sure and pay your 2% Dues because most of your fellow members don't! 

I am curious about these 'dues' of which you speak.   To whom are they paid?   

[Redline]

On 6/7/2017 at 2:02 PM, NanLaew said:

Isn't this the statesman that Trump unceremoniously bundled out of his way in Brussels a couple of weeks back.

 

 

I want to see those 2 in a fistfight!  Get em Monte!  DT is a baby

[Redline]

22 hours ago, ddavidovsky said:

Scrap NATO. Russia is no longer a threat. The Cold War is over. Communism is dead. Has nobody noticed?

 

Russia and the west now urgently need to be on the same side and there's no reason at all why they can't be. And don't bring up Ukraine - that issue involves ethnic Russians and is their business.

That's not how international law works If Russians don't want to live in another country, they can go home.  You think all the Chinatowns in the world should belong to China ?   Come on buddy, think a bit.  And, what area of Russia do you live?

[ilostmypassword]

23 hours ago, ddavidovsky said:

Scrap NATO. Russia is no longer a threat. The Cold War is over. Communism is dead. Has nobody noticed?

 

Russia and the west now urgently need to be on the same side and there's no reason at all why they can't be. And don't bring up Ukraine - that issue involves ethnic Russians and is their business.

I guess by the same token Russia has a legitimate right to invade Latvia and it wouldn't be anybody else's business except the Latvians and the Russians.

[oxo1947]

On 7/6/2560 at 1:16 PM, hawker9000 said:

What in the world does Putin think he has to say about another sovereign nation's decision to join NATO?  The more impotent Russia becomes, the more belligerent Putin gets

So Sovereign nations are allowed to make their own decisions and not be told by out side forces hawker9000   ??

.You can stand on the border of Turkey/Russia and see the air bases with US rockets aimed at Russia--Latvia will probably have rockets deplored as does a few other NATO allies that border Russia. We all feel that this is quite fair-- so when a country  allied of Russia decide that they want rockets-- We Just said--that's OK Cuba Fairs Fair , your sovereign country & 150 Klm away.

.

................................We did say that didn't we ?........................

 

 

 

[ddavidovsky]

29 minutes ago, ilostmypassword said:

I guess by the same token Russia has a legitimate right to invade Latvia and it wouldn't be anybody else's business except the Latvians and the Russians.

If Latvia has a majority ethnic-Russian section that wants to be part of Russia, then I say let them secede and don't be surprised if Russia helps them. And by the same token, it should have nothing to do with Russia's relations with the west.

The mere existence of NATO evidently only stokes tension.

[ddavidovsky]

42 minutes ago, Redline said:

That's not how international law works If Russians don't want to live in another country, they can go home.  You think all the Chinatowns in the world should belong to China ?   Come on buddy, think a bit.  And, what area of Russia do you live?

Didn't I say don't bring up Ukraine?

The border was badly drawn out of a political expedient that is now irrelevant. The indigenous population weren't consulted at the time. The majority in the contested area are ethnic Russians. And none of that makes Russia an enemy of the west, only of that artificial, neurotic 'let's-create-an-enemy' construct known as NATO.

 

I'm from Yorkshire by the way.

[Becker]

15 minutes ago, ddavidovsky said:

Didn't I say don't bring up Ukraine?

So what, and why not? It's a prime example of how badly NATO is still needed despite your lame attempt at making it into a "private" affair.  Communism is gone, but it's replace by a murderous despot who attacks immediately if he senses weakness.

[Redline]

4 minutes ago, ddavidovsky said:

Didn't I say don't bring up Ukraine?

The border was badly drawn out of a political expedient that is now irrelevant. The indigenous population weren't consulted at the time. The majority in the contested area are ethnic Russians. And none of that makes Russia an enemy of the west, only of that artificial, neurotic 'let's-create-an-enemy' construct known as NATO.

 

I'm from Yorkshire by the way.

OK what about Georgia?  Half the borders created in the world didn't take into account the populations when their borders were created It's not a free for all.  So what era do you suggest we go back to?  Roman?  British?  Neanderthal?  Countries have to agree on giving up land and changing borders.  I guess you support China taking over the South China Sea?  What year do you pick to draw worldwide borders?  I understand Russia's concerns, but this mentality is the only thing keeping Putin in power.

[Redline]

37 minutes ago, ddavidovsky said:

If Latvia has a majority ethnic-Russian section that wants to be part of Russia, then I say let them secede and don't be surprised if Russia helps them. And by the same token, it should have nothing to do with Russia's relations with the west.

The mere existence of NATO evidently only stokes tension.

Look, there is more land in Russia than anywhere, and their population is diminishing.  They are giving away free land.  Let them go to Russia.  Maybe the borders were drawn by the winners, but that is how the world is.  If people want to change it without the majority of the population of the given country accepting it, there will be death and consequences.  Look at the history of the borders of the world.  You want tribal/ethnic/blood lines, but there has to be votes or war.  This has been going on since man has been on earth, and most of it is just a front for economic resources.

[ilostmypassword]

2 hours ago, ddavidovsky said:

If Latvia has a majority ethnic-Russian section that wants to be part of Russia, then I say let them secede and don't be surprised if Russia helps them. And by the same token, it should have nothing to do with Russia's relations with the west.

The mere existence of NATO evidently only stokes tension.

Sounds reminiscent of Czechoslovakia and the Sudetenland.

[evadgib]

1,500 British troops exercising with NATO allies in Europe