Russia can’t stop NATO entry, says Montenegro

BLoomberg

Russia is still trying to undermine Montenegro’s NATO membership with continued cyber attacks after last year’s failed coup attempt, but no one can stop the tiny Balkan nation from joining as early as next month, the country’s defense minister said.
Lawmakers in the Adriatic state of 630,000 people will formally agree to join the North Atlantic Treaty Organization on Friday, Predrag Boskovic said in an interview in the capital, Podgorica. All 28 NATO members have given consent except for Spain, which is expected to do so this week. Montenegro hopes to attend the alliance’s May 25 summit as a full member, he said.
The approval signals a years-long shift in geopolitical loyalties for the former Yugoslav republic, which has historically shared religious and cultural ties with Russia. Adding its 200 miles of shoreline will clinch NATO’s nearly complete control over the northern Mediterranean. Russia isn’t backing down, though. After Montenegro accused Moscow for trying to overthrow the government and assassinate the prime minister during last year’s elections — an allegation Russia denies — its institutions are coming under attack by hackers believed to be backed by the Kremlin, he said.
“Neither Russia, nor any other country, can change our course,” Boskovic, 45, said in his office on Tuesday. “Joining today’s 28 most advanced economies, the most advanced civilizations, is a step necessary for Montenegro, for it to become part of the Western world and ensure long-term stability and
security.’’
Montenegro’s accusations coincide with warnings from other European nations that Russia is stepping up efforts to infiltrate rival governments and influence politics across the continent. Denmark’s defense minister was cited on Sunday as saying Russian hackers gained access to military emails, while French presidential front-runner Emmanuel Macron’s campaign has been hit by cyber attacks resembling those used against Democratic Party organizations in the U.S.