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Montenegro poised for Nato membership

Tiny state to be offered membership of defence alliance, in face of Russian demands it remains out

NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg speaks during a media conference at NATO headquarters in Brussels, Belgium
Jens Stoltenberg speaks during a media conference at Nato headquarters in Brussels, Belgium Credit: Photo: AP

Montenegro is on Wednesday expected to become the latest member of Nato, in the face of protests by Russia.

Foreign ministers are expected to vote to invite the tiny former Yugoslav state to join the 28-member defence alliance at a meeting in Brussels.

The move is intended to send a signal to Moscow that it cannot dictate terms to the Balkans.

Last year, Sergei Lavrov, the Russian foreign minister, said allowing Montenegro to join would be a “provocation” and “irresponsible”, a move that made its Nato membership almost inevitable.

Russian Foreign Minister, Sergei Lavrov
Russian Foreign Minister, Sergei Lavrov

Russia claims it is being “encircled” by Nato. Officials said extending the invitation to the country of half a million people proved that the defence alliance’s “open door” policy of extending membership to those that wish it still stands.

Russian President Vladimir Putin bitterly complains of what he sees as NATO encroachment, especially after the pro-Western Kiev government said it was looking to join the alliance in the future.

Foreign Ministers attend the NATO ministerial meeting on Resolute Support operations at the NATO headquarters in Brussels, Belgium
Foreign Ministers attend the NATO ministerial meeting on Resolute Support operations at the NATO headquarters in Brussels, Belgium

NATO offered Ukraine membership in 2008, when Russia went to war against another former Soviet state, Georgia, but Kiev opted for what it said was a "non-bloc" policy instead.

President Petro Poroshenko however reversed that position last year over Moscow's support for pro-Russian rebels in eastern Ukraine and its annexation of Crimea.

File photo: President of Ukraine, Petro Poroshenko
File photo: President of Ukraine, Petro Poroshenko

Georgia is also desperate to join the alliance.

Balkan states Croatia and Albania were the most recent countries to join, in 2009.

Sergei Zheleznyak, a prominent member of Russia's parliament, said Russia might have to punish Montenegro if it joined NATO without holding a referendum. Public opinion is split in the country.

"We would have to change our policy in regard to this friendly country," he said. "If NATO military infrastructure were placed there, we would have to respond by limiting our contacts in economic and other spheres."