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The tiny Balkan nation of Montenegro, the newest member state of NATO, is suddenly criticized for criticizing President Trump about the alliance. in a television interview this week
. Mr Trump drew his attention to Montenegro and raised questions regarding the US commitment to the legal obligation for NATO members to defend each other in the event of a treason. attack – a fundamental commitment in the 1949 treaty establishing the alliance.
When Mr. Carlson asked why, hypothetically, his son should be sent to Montenegro to defend the nation if it was attacked, Mr. Trump said that he had "asked the same question" and added that the "aggressive people" of Montenegro could
(Mr. Carlson did not mention that the United States has a fully voluntary army, that there has been no project since 1973 , or that the collective defense clause of the treaty, known as Article 5, has been invoked only once in the history of NATO, after the September 11, 2001 attacks on the United States.)
Trump's comments come just a week after a NATO summit meeting where the president urged allies to accelerate their progress in achieving the goal of spending 2% of their gross domestic product on military purposes
. in terms of tensions between Russia and the West playing out in the Balkans. Here are four things to know about Montenegro that help to add context to Trump's comments.
What did Mr. Trump mean by "aggressive people"?
During Mr. Trump's interview with Mr. Carlson, the President noted that Although Montenegro was small, it was full of "very strong people".
"They have very aggressive people," Trump continued. "They can become aggressive, and congratulations, you are in the third world war."
But when the war broke out in the Balkans in the 1990s, Montenegro was widely regarded as a stabilizing force in the region. Montenegro, then part of Serbia, hosted tens of thousands of refugees from Bosnia and Croatia as surrounding countries rushed into conflict
. Montenegro is proud of its history, traditions and peaceful policies that have allowed it to be a stabilizing state in the region and the only state where war has not raged during the disintegration of the region. Montenegro and Russia have a tense history
Modern Montenegro is a young country, having only gained independence from Serbia in 2006, but its relations with Russia have become increasingly complicated. especially after joining NATO last year. Russian companies have invested heavily in it, and it has long been a tourist destination for wealthy Russian holidaymakers.
Serbia was traditionally an ally of Russia. Serbian is the main language of Montenegro, and the official religion is Eastern Orthodox Christianity, as is the case in Serbia and Russia. The measures taken by Montenegro to align more closely with the West have been condemned by Moscow
. In recent years, Montenegro has joined the Council of Europe and the Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe. Cold War to bridge the divisions between East and West. Montenegro is also envisaged to become a member of the European Union, which irritates Russia. But it is the new accession of Montenegro to NATO that has perhaps the most troubled in Moscow.
Before NATO invited Montenegro to join in 2016, Russia was a categorical opponent. After NATO invited Montenegro to join its ranks, a spokesman for Russian President Vladimir V. Putin promised "retaliatory actions". Moscow issued notices for Russian citizens traveling to Montenegro and quickly banned the import of Montenegrin wine. "Montenegro has been under constant pressure from Russia for more than a decade," said General Wesley K. Clark, former Supreme Allied Commander of NATO, in a message released on Thursday. on Twitter
. found Mr. Trump's comments on Montenegro "disturbing".
Was Russia not behind a coup plot in Montenegro?
In 2016, prosecutors in Montenegro claimed that a pair of Russians – some of them being linked to Russian intelligence – had orchestrated a plot of trouble and planned statehood to conduct a "coup". indeterminate number of criminal acts of terrorism and the murder of the highest ranking representatives of Montenegro ".
plans to kill Milo Djukanovic, who was prime minister at the time and is now the country's president. Russia has denied any involvement
Although the link with Russia's plot has been hard to prove for Montenegro, political analysts in the region say that Russian influence poses a real threat to the country's sovereignty. Montenegro
Dritan Abazovic, Reform Action, a pro-NATO party outside the country's governing coalition, agreed.
"There is a strong influence of Russia and Serbia in the region, which is why NATO is needed," Abazovic said. "We are small We must be part of some members of the collective security Without collective security and collective defense, we have no chance."
Abazovic also believes that Montenegro's international support and the NATO support send a powerful message to Russia, which can not be quantified.
"NATO is the best option to fight the Russian influence in this region". "So symbolically, Montenegro gives a lot that is not calculated monetarily."
Trump's comments on Montenegro could undermine that.
"Trump's comments weaken NATO, give Russia a license to cause trouble and thus increase the risk of renewed conflict in the Balkans," writes General Clark on Twitter. already contributing to NATO operations
Montenegro has troops in Afghanistan, participating in a conflict initiated by the United States following the 2001 terrorist attacks almost 20 years ago.
In fact, Montenegro Even before officially joining NATO, even before being an independent nation
With a population of about 650,000 people and an army of just under 2,000 people, its contribution is considerable.
"As a new member of NATO and a candidate for the EU," Montenegro "contributes to peace and stability, not only on the European continent, but around the world, with US soldiers in Afghanistan, "according to the Government Response to Trump's Comments
The treaty obliges member states to act if one of the member states is targeted. While the State Department reaffirmed American's commitment to this agreement, Mr. Trump's own statements have blurred the cards.
But regardless of Mr. Trump's intentions, some in Montenegro are content to laugh at comments
. season, "said Mr. Abazovic, the legislator." I think most people in Montenegro are too busy relaxing to be aggressive right now. We are not an aggressive country. "
Joseph Orovic contributed to the report.
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