Montenegro faces 'consistent' hybrid threats from Russia: NATO chief

ISTANBUL

The NATO chief on Monday reaffirmed Montenegro’s role within the alliance while underscoring the growing threats the country faces from Russia and other elsewhere.

“Montenegro faces consistent hybrid threats from Russian and foreign actors. Russia wants to create fear and undermine our support for Ukraine. This will not work," Secretary General Mark Rutte told reporters after a meeting with Montenegro's Prime Minister Milojko Spajic at NATO Headquarters.

Rutte expressed gratitude for the Balkan nation’s contributions, stating, “We are generally very grateful for everything Montenegro is doing to support Ukraine so far, also through NATO’s comprehensive assistance package.”

He further commended Montenegro for its efforts to push for the implementation of decisions made at the Washington summit, ensuring Ukraine’s path toward NATO membership stays on track.

The ongoing threat posed by Russia, particularly through cyberattacks, disinformation, and political interference, was a key topic of discussion.

Rutte said Russia’s actions aim to destabilize NATO’s unity and undermine support for Ukraine, but expressed confidence in NATO’s resilience, stating, “This will not work.”

He also praised Montenegro for taking strong measures against hybrid threats, as the first recipient of NATO’s counter-hybrid support team, and for joining NATO’s rapid response group.

Need for Ukraine aid ahead of hard winter

Stoltenberg stressed the importance of continuing support for Ukraine, especially as it faces one of its most difficult winters since the war began in 2022.

He urged all allies to fulfill their commitments made at the Washington summit this July, including financial pledges and military support.

“Ukraine needs our urgent support,” he concluded, speaking just weeks before Donald Trump, a long-time critic of American aid to NATO, is set to once again become US president.

Spajic said, referring to the alliance’s defense investment guideline: "We are not only declarative in declarative terms a credible NATO partner, we are this year going to go over the threshold of 2% (of gross domestic product), as dear Mark has said.”

Montenegro, a NATO member for seven years, has contributed to various NATO missions, including in in Latvia, Bulgaria, and Kosovo, he reiterated.

He also confirmed the country’s defense spending goals, with plans to reach at least 2.1% to 2.3% of GDP by 2025.

He also reaffirmed Montenegro’s commitment to supporting Ukraine, saying: “Montenegro supports Ukraine and believes that NATO membership will be the ultimate guarantee for this nation as well.”

Spajic also highlighted Montenegro’s involvement in delivering military equipment to Ukraine and its participation in NATO’s comprehensive assistance package.