Russia Slams Anti-Moscow Billboards in Montenegro

The Russian embassy sent a diplomatic note to Montenegro’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs and European Integration on Thursday, demanding an explanation after the billboards appeared in Podgorica last week.

An anonymous group calling itself The Montenegrin Patriots rented billboard sites and put up posters with slogans like “Better a banana in the hand than the Russian boot on my back”, with the NATO logo on top of them and a list of all Russia’s failed investments in Montenegro.

Another features a quote from the communist politician Milovan Djilas saying that Russia had always used its Montenegrin friends as a “bargaining tool”.

Media in Podgorica reported that the Montenegrin Ministry of Foreign Affairs said it considered the posters “absolutely unacceptable”.

“This does not reflect the values and priorities of our foreign and internal policy. We believe Russia is a friendly partner country with whom we want to continue traditionally good and substantive relations,” the ministry said, according to media reports.

Montenegro and Russia have a history of close ties that dates back to the days of the Montenegrin monarchy in 19th century –  but their friendship has frayed as the government in Podgorica seeks to place the country firmly inside EU and NATO structures.

In March, the government backed EU sanctions imposed on Moscow as a result of the Ukraine conflict, hoping it would bring the country closer to its NATO goal.

But a recent survey suggested the majority of Montenegrins consider Russia their most important ally and the “leading Orthodox nation”.

Source: Balkan Insight