Montenegrin PM "demonizing Russia" - Kremlin spokesman

Montenegrin PM "demonizing Russia" - Kremlin spokesman

"We think about them the same you do - as you said yourself, these are quite strange statements (...) It is a well-known form of entertainment for many countries to look for a devil everywhere and continue demonizing Russia," said Peskov in reply to a reporter's question.

President Vladimir Putin's press secretary, at the same time, said Russia "hopes that common sense will prevail and realistic assessments will dominate," TASS reported.

The Russian state news agency said in its report that last weekend opposition protested in Montenegro’s capital Podgorica against the policy of Prime Minister Milo Djukanovic, in particular, against joining NATO. Protesters demanded Djukanovic's resignation and the forming of a transitional government, and tried to break into the parliament building, throwing firecrackers and bottles at the police, after which the police used tear gas and stun grenades. TASS also said that 15 policemen and 24 protesters were injured.

The Moscow-based daily Kommersant writes, under the headline, "Foiled Coup," that "taking into account the position of Russia towards violent overthrowing of regimes, it would be illogical to now provide even the moral support to the protests in Montenegro."

Djukanovic said yesterday in a statement for Croatia's public broadcaster HRT that "an attempt to endanger the constitutional order of Montenegro" had taken place, "with a clear ambition to come to a violent change of government and revise the strategic direction of the state policy of Montenegro."

Furthermore, according to him, the protesters "want to annul the results of the democratic referendum from 2006 in order to eliminate the possibility that Montenegro as an independent state chooses its own policy and to, of course, return to the gravitational field of policies from the neighborhood, and from more distant addresses, who not want to manage not only Montenegro, but also the region. "

Asked whether he was talking about Russia "and certain right-wing structures in Serbia," Djukanovic said there was "no doubt about it."

"Equally there is no doubt that Russia had and still has an active role in organizing the protests against the government in Podgorica," he said, as reported by HRT on its website.