Montenegro and NATO flagsMOSCOW, Mar 16 Russia will respond to Montenegro's decision to declare a Russian diplomat persona non grata, Yuri Pilipson, director of the Fourth European Department of the Russian Foreign Ministry, said in an interview with RIA Novosti. «As for Montenegro, the local authorities really declared one Russian diplomat persona non grata. And this is not an isolated case in recent years. The answer will definitely follow,» he said. Pilipson. In early March, the Russian Embassy in Montenegro received a note from the country's Foreign Ministry declaring persona non grata of one of the Russian diplomats. Moscow warned Montenegro that its involvement in anti-Russian sanctions would hit the country's economy, Pilipson said. «North Macedonia and Montenegro, unfortunately, turned out to be under the influence of the West, failed to formulate any independent policy in the Ukrainian direction, and joined the frontal sanctions regime. This will inevitably hit them themselves, complicating the already difficult economic situation. Of course, bilateral ties with Russia will suffer. We have warned everyone about this for a long time and repeatedly,” the head of the department added. He also recalled that “the unfriendly line of the local leaders towards our country does not enjoy public support.” “Despite the attempts of the West to impose destructive unanimity, the citizens of these countries are able form an objective picture, separate propaganda lies from facts,” Pilipson concluded.
