Montenegrin infantry. (Photo : Army of Montenegro)
Nothing will prevent the strategically important southeastern European country of Montenegro from becoming the 29th member state of NATO (the North Atlantic Treaty Organization), the military alliance that has kept the peace in Europe since the end of World War II.
NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg issued a statement saying he expects pro-western Montenegro to become a member "in the very near future." He remains absolutely confident all 28 of the alliance's member states will soon finish ratifying the country's accession, allowing Montenegro to become a full member of the alliance.
Montenegro received an official invitation to join NATO on Dec. 2, 2015. The invitation was meant to start final accession talks.
Of the NATO member states, 21 have ratified Montenegro's accession, and France is expected to become the 22nd state to do so. The United States still has to ratify Montenegro's membership and there is apprehension Trump might sit on his hands while he cozies up to his fellow autocrat, Vladimir Putin.
"I look forward to welcoming your country as NATO's newest member in the very near future," said Stoltenberg to Montenegrin Prime Minister Dusko Markovic.
Markovic said he expected Montenegro to participate as a full member in this year's NATO summit. Montenegro's NATO membership will send a strong signal of commitment to regional security, said Stoltenberg.
"Your NATO membership will send a clear signal of stability and security in the whole region, which is the basis for prosperity," Stoltenberg said to Markovic at the alliance's headquarters in Brussels.
As expected, Russia condemned the move as another example of NATO's encroachment into its backyard.
Putin has done all he can to dissuade Montenegro from joining NATO, and even tried to overthrow the Montenegrin government in mid-October 2016.
This attempted coup d'état was undertaken by pro-Russian Montenegrins and Serbs acting on the behest of Moscow. The coup plotters, most of whom were later arrested in Montenegro, planned to seize control of the Parliament of Montenegro and bring a pro-Russian coalition to power.
The plotters planned their coup for Montenegro's election day last Oct. 16. The plan was for 500 pro-Russian people to enter Montenegro on election night to "cause violence ... and hire professional sharpshooters to kill the prime minister."
Milivoje Katnic, Montenegro's special chief prosecutor, said the Russian nationalists planned to topple Montenegro's pro-Western government because of Montenegro's bid to join NATO.
Katnic said the investigation confirmed "nationalists from Russia" organized the criminal group that attempted the coup d'état
"The plan was to stop Montenegro on its Euro-Atlantic path, especially to prevent it from entering NATO," said Katnic.
Montenegro was invited to join NATO despite strong opposition from Russia and Putin. Montenegro's joining NATO would have deprived Russia of its only strategic access to the Adriatic Sea. This will also leave Serbia as Russia's only ally in the region.
