Montenegro's Reaction to Donald Trump: We Take Pride in Our History

The government of Montenegro responded to Donald Trump's remarks, in which he stated that the 'aggressive' people of this Balkan country could 'start World War III.' On Thursday, July 19, the Montenegrin government issued a statement saying, 'We take pride in our history. Our friendship and alliance with the United States is strong and everlasting.' The statement further noted, 'Montenegro was the first European country to resist fascism and today, as a new NATO member and a candidate for EU membership, it contributes to peace and stability not only in Europe but globally, standing alongside American soldiers in Afghanistan.' The statement also mentioned that Montenegro, while establishing friendly relations with other countries, is ready to 'decisively and boldly defend its national interests.' In the concluding part of the statement, it stated, 'In today's world, it does not matter how big or small you are; what matters is how willing we are to defend values such as freedom, solidarity, and democracy. Therefore, Montenegro's friendship and alliance with the United States is strong and everlasting.' Donald Trump, in an interview with Fox News on Tuesday evening, expressed concern that this new NATO member might involve NATO in a third world war, stating, 'The people of Montenegro are very strong and aggressive.' He later acknowledged that according to Article 5 of the NATO charter, which outlines the principle of collective defense against external threats, NATO must defend Montenegro if it is attacked because 'that is how it is built.' Montenegro joined NATO in June 2017 as its 29th member, aligning historically with the transatlantic military alliance despite Russia's opposition to NATO's eastward expansion. Russia has strongly criticized Montenegro's accession to the alliance.