Vladimir Putin’s revenge
Trump is Putin’s latest weapon and Montenegro is his latest tool. A small, peaceful Balkan nation that has historically been friendly with Russia and the former Soviet Union, Montenegro has shifted to democracy. Montenegro’s relationship with communist countries was due to geography and foreign occupation, rather than a love of communism. Montenegro’s hard work has paid off because this small country became the 29th member of NATO in the summer of 2017. NATO membership includes the protection of all NATO members, in case one of them is attacked. Putin has publicly derided Montenegro’s entry into NATO, as it is another one who got away.
Putin was so incensed over Montenegro’s invitation to join NATO, he threatened that retaliatory measures would be forthcoming. Russia is not a member of NATO because it is authoritarian, whilst Russia feels it should be a member because it is big, strong and important. Do you see the disconnect here? Russia used to exert a lot of control and influence over the region in general, but now, more and more, countries are seeking diplomatic solutions, free markets and democratic elections. Putin feels this is a threat to Russia and the hold he has over less powerful countries. The newest prevarications of Donald Trump may reveal the retaliation Putin promised.
Putin’s revenge on NATO would be complete if the U.S. withdrew from it, or better yet, if Trump provokes NATO to kick the U.S. out for not upholding its support to all NATO members. If the U.S. gets kicked out of NATO, then Trump does not have to come up with a cover story to withdraw. In a recent Fox News interview, Trump was wishy washy at the idea of defending Montenegro, and out of the blue, took over the interview to go on the attack. Trump said, “Montenegro is a tiny country with very strong people. … They are very strong people. They are very aggressive people, they may get aggressive, and congratulations, you are in World War III.”
The ridiculousness of this statement cannot be understated. The Prime Minister of Montenegro is also the guy Trump shoved out of the way during NATO pictures. Trump must know he is forcing NATO to reconsider the role of America in the organization, if America can no longer be trusted to uphold its end of the bargain. After all, Trump is a rabid dog on a tightly held chain, let loose only at Putin’s command.
