More puzzled than affronted by Trump remarks
PODGORICA, Montenegro — World War III? Not us, say puzzled and concerned Montenegrins.
Public officials in the tiny Balkan nation in southeastern Europe didn’t know what to say initially when President Trump suggested Montenegro could set off a global Armageddon with a military of fewer than 2,000 members.
That the leader of the world’s dominant superpower would characterize the country’s population of about 620,000 as “very strong” and “very aggressive people” first rendered their government speechless. It found its voice Thursday, and what came out was less a battle cry than a chorus of “Kumbaya.”
“We build friendships, and we have not lost a single one,” read a statement issued in the capital Podgorica in response to the media’s clamoring for comment. “It does not matter how big or small you are, but to what extent you cherish the values of freedom, solidarity and democracy.”
Living in a region that has seen more than its share of volatile conflicts, Montenegrins say they are much more interested in tourism than war. Montenegro, a former Yugoslav republic like Slovenia, the home country of U.S. first lady Melania Trump, is known for its long Adriatic Sea beaches.
“I laughed when I heard that and figured it could be a good advertisement,” retiree Slavka Kovacevic, 58, said of Trump’s depiction.
Trump ventured his thoughts on Montenegro during an interview with Fox News host Tucker Carlson conducted Monday. They were discussing NATO’s mutual defense pact.
If the military alliance’s newest and smallest member were provoked, having NATO behind it could embolden “a tiny country with very strong people” to engage, the president said of Montenegro.
“They are very strong people. They are very aggressive people, they may get aggressive, and congratulations, you are in World War III,” he added.
The comment was not the first time that Trump had taken notice of Montenegro in a way that attracted oversized attention. At a NATO summit last year, his first as president, Trump shoved Montenegrin Prime Minister Dusko Markovic out of the way while trying to get in front for a leaders’ group photo.
Back then, Markovic refused to make a fuss over the American president’s manners. Markovic also took the high road regarding Trump’s comments this week, noting in a parliamentary debate on Wednesday that they were made within the context of questioning NATO financing and not intended to insult a particular ally.