The bell rings for Light, Escobar: Montenegro remains attractive target for Moscow

Montenegro remains an attractive target for Moscow, and that is why the United States and Euro-Atlantic partners should step up collective efforts to counter Russian President Vladimir Putin's hostile actions, US special envoy for the Western Balkans Gabriel Escobar said.

The same wrong ideology is pushing the Kremlin to prevent and slow down Balkan Euro-Atlantic integration, Escobar told the Montenegrin daily Vijesti.

He urged all in the Western Balkans to hold Putin responsible for the invasion of Ukraine.

While this humanitarian catastrophe unfolds, you have to ask yourself what Putin is ready for elsewhere in the world, including the Western Balkans”, Escobar said.

Following European Union policy, Montenegro's government has imposed sanctions against Russia on March 1st, but has not made the decisions needed to implement them.

Among other things, the government has not made the decision to ban Russian media -- Russia Today and Sputnik -- in Montenegro, for which it has been warned by the EU, which has banned them since 2 March.

On March 2nd, Montenegro has voted for a resolution in the United Nations, which has strongly condemned Russian aggression and has demanded the end of using force in Ukraine.

Russia has begun its military invasion of Ukraine on February 24th.

Montenegrin Prime Minister Zdravko Krivokkapiq's government, whose members have been named pro-Serbs and pro-Russians, has been on technical mandate since February 4th, when Montenegro's Parliament has voted a no-confidence motion against it.

On March 3rd, Montenegro's president, Milo Djukanovic, has nominated the current deputy prime minister and chairman of the Move U n RA, Dritan Abazovic, as a warrant for forming the new government.