Radulović: We will join the EU sanctions against Russia

Minister of Foreign Affairs Đorđe Radulović told "Vijesti" today that Montenegro will join the European Union (EU) sanctions against Russia, due to Russian military aggression against Ukraine.

"After the Cold War, although military neutrality can exist, political neutrality - cannot. There are countries on the European continent that are militarily neutral - such as Austria, Finland, Ireland, Sweden and others - but they are not neutral in any sense and they all implement EU sanctions policy. When you have a war on the European continent, you cannot close your eyes and wait for it to pass. I am aware that the EU has adopted a package of sanctions against Russia. In accordance with the procedures, we expect that package to come to us for harmonization in 10-15 days Bearing in mind that we are neither politically nor militarily neutral - because we are a member of NATO - we will follow our foreign policy priorities. We will join the sanctions," he pointed out.

On Wednesday, the EU officially adopted the first package of sanctions against Russia in response to Moscow's decisions to recognize the Ukrainian regions of Donetsk and Lugansk as independent states.

The leaders of the EU today condemned the attack on Ukraine, and threatened Russia with the "strongest and harshest package of sanctions".

Radulović said that until yesterday there were twenty Montenegrin citizens in Ukraine, and that today, according to information from the Ministry of Foreign Affairs (MVP), four decided to leave that country.

"Apart from the Embassy in Kyiv, we have alerted the embassies in Ukraine to the neighboring countries - Poland, Hungary and Romania - and they have only one task: to help our citizens get to safety. In addition, the General Directorate for Consular Affairs is located in the MFA , which is available XNUMX/XNUMX to all citizens of Montenegro whose loved ones are in Ukraine, to provide them with information and help," he said.

Radulović says that, bearing in mind the imminent danger of war, he made the decision last night for the Montenegrin ambassador to Ukraine, Dragica Ponorac, to withdraw from that country.

"She is currently on her way to safety. And the rest of our citizens in Ukraine have full diplomacy at their disposal to ensure they are also safe. The Embassy in Kyiv currently has local staff who refuse to leave the country and they provide consular services to our citizens who would wanted to leave Ukraine. Our Embassy is in contact with all our citizens and helps them to leave the country, especially if we keep in mind that the airspace over Ukraine is closed. The only way to leave Ukraine is by land, and for this reason we contacted the embassies in the neighboring countries, to possibly wait for them at the border crossings and to help them move from Ukraine to the safe zone," the minister emphasized.

Russian military aggression against Ukraine began this morning, after the President of Russia announced the start of a military operation in the eastern Ukrainian region of Donbass.

The President of Ukraine, Volodymyr Zelensky, declared a general mobilization, and before that a state of war in the entire territory of the country.