NATO Secretary General Mark Rutte on Monday reaffirmed Montenegro’s role within the alliance, while underscoring the growing threats the country faces from Russia and other countries, according to .
“Montenegro faces constant hybrid threats from Russian and foreign actors. Russia wants to create fear and undermine our support for Ukraine. That will not work,” Rutte told reporters after a meeting with Montenegrin Prime Minister Milojko Spajic in NATO headquarters.
Rutte expressed gratitude for the Balkan nation’s contributions, stating: “Overall, we are very grateful for everything Montenegro is doing to support Ukraine so far, also through NATO’s comprehensive assistance package.”
Furthermore, he praised Montenegro for its efforts to push for the implementation of decisions made at the Washington summit, ensuring that Ukraine’s path to NATO membership remains 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 seek to destabilize NATO unity and undermine support for Ukraine, but expressed confidence in NATO’s resilience, saying: “This will not work.”
He also congratulated Montenegro for taking strong measures against hybrid threats, for being the first recipient of NATO’s anti-hybrid support team and for joining NATO’s rapid response group.
