US takes Montenegro into NATO against its will

The US Senate has voted for Montenegro's joining NATO. 86 people voted for, 2 - against. Now the decision is to be signed by the US President Donald Trump.

It should be noted that all the 28 parliaments of the Alliance should approve Montenegro's joining NATO. However, political decision has been already taken, which is evidenced by unanimous voting in the Senate.

A scandal could not have been evaded either. John McCain offered to approve Montenegro's joining NATO under simplified procedure 'given no objections'. However, Senator Rand Paul stood against, and McCain accused him of being a Putin's agent, which evidenced him being insane, according to Rand Paul.

In Montenegro itself there is also no unanimity. The authorities even refused conduct of a referendum, fearing that the majority would reject the idea. There has been even launched a story on a coup d'etat. The Special Prosecutor General Milivoje Katnic claimed that a coup was allegedly orchestrated by some 'Russian nationalists'. At the same time he admitted that there was no evidence.

The British Telegraph reported in February about Russia's trying to make an attempt on the Montenegrin PM, as it was allegedly necessary to deter the country from joining NATO. According to them, the plan was prevented at the last moment.

Pyotr Iskenderov, senior fellow at the Institute of Slavic Studies, has commented Pravda.Ru on the issue before.

'If Montenegro joins NATO, it will allow the alliance to reinforce control over the European south-eastern flank without any serious funding. Montenegro's value is in its geographical position, port infrastructure, which is quite well-developed and allows to use it for fueling of military vessels and arrangement of some more important facilities. It is not excluded, that NATO will try to engage Montenegro in the US air defence, unless Trump freezes it,' the expert noted.

'Montenegro's joining NATO will also be a definite challenge for the Balkan regional security system, as the neighbouring Serbia is a neutral state according to its Constitution and will have to take some measures for reinforcement of its own defence, taking into account that it will be squeezed between the NATO member-states. Croatia - from one side, Albania and Montenegro - from another, Bulgaria, Romania - from the third one. It may provoke a regional armament race, as Serbia will have to take measures on reinforcement of its own defence,' the expert concluded.

Pravda.Ru

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