Montenegro joins EU sanctions against Russia

By Talha Ozturk

BELGRADE, Serbia (AA) - Montenegro on Wednesday joined the European Union's sanctions on Russia following its war with Ukraine, the Foreign Ministry said.

"By completely joining the restrictions, the economic sanctions and sanctions for individuals, Montenegro is continuing its policy of full agreement with the EU’s foreign policy," the ministry said in a statement.

Foreign Minister Dorde Radulovic also attended the 49th session of the UN Human Rights Council. In a separate statement, the ministry said he “joined his colleagues in condemning Russian aggression against that country & called Moscow to withdraw troops & respect sovereignty & territorial integrity of Ukraine.”

Montenegro, a country of 620,000 people, declared independence from Serbia in 2008 and joined NATO in 2017. It is also a candidate for EU membership and opened accession negotiations with the bloc in 2012.

Meanwhile, the country’s armed forces announced a donation of non-lethal military equipment, primarily protective vests and ballistic helmets, for Ukraine.

In the Western Balkan region, North Macedonia, Kosovo and Albania have also joined the EU and US sanctions on Russia. Serbia said it supports the territorial integrity of Ukraine but refrained from imposing sanctions.

The international community has reacted to Russia's war on Ukraine, which began on Feb. 24, with fury. Besides the sanctions which exclude Russia from international payment system SWIFT, the EU is also supplying Ukraine with weapons, has shut airspace for Russian airlines, and banned Russian state-run media.

Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov acknowledged that the Russian economy is experiencing a heavy blow, but said the government is working vigorously to alleviate the stress.

In a statement on Tuesday, Russian Defense Minister Sergey Shoygu said the "special military operation will continue until set goals are achieved." He added that the operation's main goal is "to protect the Russian Federation from the military threat posed by Western countries."