A resolution requesting the President of the United States of America (USA) Donald Trump and the Secretary of State When Rubija is seeking to advocate for Montenegro's accession to the European Union (EU) is good news for Podgorica, politically and symbolically. However, due to the changed dynamics in relations between Washington and Brussels, that support does not carry the weight it once did.
In these words, a professor of international relations at Boston University Vesko Garcevic comments for "Vijesti" on the resolution submitted by the representative of the Republican Party Mike Turner and his colleague from the Democratic Party Shelly Pingree.
The resolution called on Trump and Rubio to work closely with the Montenegrin government, and the document was forwarded to the US House of Representatives Foreign Affairs Committee for consideration in mid-July.
Garčević explains that the proposed resolution is positive news for Montenegro, which primarily has symbolic significance, and that it is a good thing that the initiative was submitted by representatives from both sides of the American political spectrum.
"It is significant that the US supported Montenegro's European perspective, and whether it (the resolution) will pass remains to be seen," the source said, adding that such initiatives in the American context do not have legislative force, but rather invite and indicate, but that it is the president and his administration who decide what policy to implement.
The resolution emphasizes that Montenegro has been a "strong ally" in NATO since 2017, "playing a strategic role in the alliance's Balkan mission, despite Russia's efforts to prevent Montenegro from joining NATO", and that Podgorica has made progress in fighting corruption, countering hybrid influences such as cyberattacks and disinformation in the region and the country, combating transnational organized crime, and strengthening criminal justice - "with the assistance of the State Department's Bureau of International Narcotics and Law Enforcement Affairs and the Department of Justice".
WHO ARE TURNER AND PINGRI?
Turner has represented Ohio's 2002th congressional district since 2014. From 2016 to 2018, he was president of the NATO Parliamentary Assembly, and in XNUMX, he was awarded the Presidential Order of the Montenegrin Flag for his support of Montenegro's accession to NATO.
"Everyone who worked on Montenegro's accession to NATO understood its importance. Not only because it is a strategic location in Europe and a strategic ally of the United States, but also because it is a country that has shown the rest of the world that the transatlantic alliance is strong and that the open door policy still exists," said Turner after being awarded the medal.
Garčević explains that Turner is not a representative of the mainstream Republican movement at this moment, i.e. he is not close to the MAGA (Make America Great Again) movement.
The resolution emphasizes that Montenegro has been a “strong ally” in NATO since 2017, “playing a strategic role in the alliance’s Balkan mission, despite Russia’s efforts to prevent Montenegro from joining NATO.”
Pingree is the representative of the 2006st District of Maine, a US state with which Montenegro has had a strategic partnership since its independence in XNUMX, particularly in adapting the Montenegrin military to NATO standards. She is the leader of the Montenegrin Caucus in the US House of Representatives. A caucus is a voluntary group of members of Congress who come together around common interests, goals, or identities to coordinate policy and work together.
MORE IMPORTANT WHAT EU MEMBER STATES THINK
Garčević states that the proposal for this resolution must be placed in the geopolitical context of relations between the US and Europe today.
"10, 15 or 20 years ago, there was a slogan that said that the road to Europe or the EU sometimes leads through Washington - that was supposed to mean, not that Washington was literally asking questions, but that the EU and the US were working closely together on such important issues. Those times have changed," he said.
He estimates that at this moment, for Montenegro and its aspirations to become an EU member, what the EU members think about it and what their position is is much more important.
Garčević pointed out that relations between Washington and Brussels have changed significantly, that they are much more complex and different than they used to be, and that the American public's focus is on other things, such as political violence.
"So, the priorities regarding American domestic policy are such that relations with the EU are simply not high on that scale at the moment," said the interlocutor.
Since Trump returned to the White House, US-EU relations have been marked by tensions and conditionality. At the Munich Security Conference in February, US Vice President JD Vance He criticized European leaders for what he said were deviations from democratic values, sending a signal that Washington expects greater responsibility from Europe.
Trump has repeatedly demanded that NATO members increase defense spending to five percent of gross domestic product (GDP), which many saw as a threat to the alliance's survival. However, at the end of June at the Summit in The Hague, NATO leaders pledged that members would gradually increase defense spending by 2035 and reach the five percent target.
After months of tariff threats, the US and the EU reached an agreement at the end of July that imposed 15 percent tariffs on most European products, with the EU committing to increase purchases of American energy and investments in the US, which many experts considered a major defeat for Brussels.
Garčević explains that in a legal sense, Washington's initiative to support Montenegro is politically significant, but reiterates that it is not binding on the White House and the Trump administration.
"The voice from Washington is welcome because the US is still an ally of the EU, but that voice is not as 'strong' as it was before Trump," the source notes.
If the US House of Representatives Foreign Affairs Committee approves the proposed document, the resolution goes to a plenary vote, where a simple majority is sufficient for adoption.
WHAT DOES THE RESOLUTION SAY?
The resolution states that Montenegro peacefully achieved independence in 2006 and soon became a member of the United Nations, and that since then it has been building a close partnership with the US, including through a cooperation program between the Maine National Guard and the Army of Montenegro.
The resolution recalls that Montenegro officially applied for EU membership in 2008, that negotiations were opened in 2012 and that the country has made significant progress in opening and harmonizing negotiation chapters. It also states that in June 2024, the fulfilment of the criteria in chapters 23 (judiciary and fundamental rights) and 24 (justice, freedom and security) was confirmed, which paved the way for the closure of the chapters in the negotiation process.
The voice from Washington is welcome because the US is still an ally of the EU, but that voice is not as 'strong' as it was before Trump.
The document also highlights that more than 79 percent of Montenegrin citizens support EU accession, according to a survey by the EU Delegation in Podgorica. It also states that the Congress appreciates Montenegro's commitment to reforms, supports EU efforts to expand membership to the Western Balkans, and encourages Montenegrin institutions to prioritize measures leading to full membership.
Finally, it calls on the US President, the Secretary of State, and European allies to support Montenegro's accession without further bilateral conditions, and for Washington and Podgorica to cooperate closely in strengthening the stability and security of the region, including the fight against foreign malign influence.
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