MOSCOW (Sputnik) — Pence, speaking at a meeting of the Adriatic Charter in Podgorica on Wednesday directly accused Russia of trying to attack the Montenegrin parliament in 2016 and attempting to assassinate the country’s prime minister to dissuade Podgorica from joining NATO.
"It is regrettable to note that Washington is sliding ever deeper into the primitive ideological stamps of the Cold War era, which are completely detached from reality," the ministry said.
Western politicians and security services, including from the United States, have repeatedly accused Russia of preparation to conduct a coup in Montenegro, without bringing any evidence of that. Moscow has refuted the accusations, with Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov calling them unsubstantiated and irresponsible.
Podgorica was invited to join the 28-nation military alliance in December 2015. Montenegrin authorities accepted the invitation that caused protests in the Balkan nation. On May 19, 2016, NATO member states signed the accession protocol. In June, the country became the full-fledged member of the Alliance.
