Once the Balkan stronghold of pro-Russian sentiments, tiny Montenegro is on Monday silently celebrating its entry into NATO in a historic turn that has made the Kremlin furious. Despite the Russian anger and a deep split within the nation of some 620,000 people over the issue, Montenegro is formally becoming the 29th member of the Western military alliance at a ceremony in Washington on Monday.
To get there, Montenegro has stood up against its former ally Russia, which has sought to maintain strong historic, political and cultural influence in the Slavic country it considers a special zone of interest. Bringing Montenegro into NATO further diminishes Russia's influence in south-east Europe, and blocks it from the so-called "warm seas" in Europe that could be used as staging grounds for military interventions in the Middle East.
The US State Department said Montenegro's membership "will support greater integration, democratic reform, trade, security, and stability with all of its neighbours." Russia has threatened economic and political retaliation, including a campaign to undermine the Montenegrin tourism industry, which relies heavily on Russian visitors. An estimated 200,000 Russians visit Montenegro a year and 80,000 Russians own property here.
Russia has also banned imports of Montenegrin wine and recently deported a ranking official from a Moscow airport. Russian foreign ministry spokeswoman Maria Zakharova recently warned potential Russian tourists that "there is an anti-Russian hysteria in Montenegro."