Montenegrin PM blasted over Russia policy

Montenegrin PM blasted over Russia policy

Amfilohije recalled the words of Montenegro's 18th and 19th century ruler and military and religious leader Petar I Petrović Njegoš (Saint Peter of Cetinje), and advised Đukanović to "read them carefully."

"'May he who is not not loyal to the same-language, same-blood Russia, have the living flesh fall off him, may he be cursed thrice, and 3,000 times by me.' This is what St. Peter of Cetinje left to his Montenegrins, and it would be good if the current prime minister of Montenegro read these words at a time when he, for the first time in history, introduced sanctions against Russia," said the metropolitan.

Amfilohije also assessed that Đukanović made such a decision only on behalf of the government, but not in the name of Montenegro and Montenegrins:

"If it was not true, it would have been be sad and funny. We can expect anything in Montenegro, but we could not have expect this."

Leonid Reshetnikov - a retired Russian general, doctor of historical sciences and a former officer of intelligence services - also strongly criticized Đukanović, referring to him as "traitor."

"Đukanović is a big traitor of the historical memory of our people. Never in the history has the Serb people - and the Montenegrin nation is part of the Serb people - been against Russia. It is great treachery that he will answer for on Judgment Day," said Reshetnikov during the promotion of his book, held in Belgrade's Moskva (Moscow) Hotel.

Earlier in the day, he received the Order of Saint Prince Konstantin from the Serbian Orthodox Church (SPC), in a ceremony held at the patriarchate building in Belgrade. Reshetnikov received the honor from SPC Patriarch Irinej, who described him as a man "devoted to his faith and the church," and a friend of the Serb people.

"This is a great honor for me. All my life I have sought to strengthen the ties between Slavic and Orthodox peoples, and especially the ties with the Serb people, which is particularly close to us," said Reshetnikov, who heads the Russian Institute of Strategic Studies.