Update on the Russian-Backed Attempted Coup in Montenegro

           Serbia’s extraditions last week to Montenegro of Russian suspects in the Russian Federation’s attempted coup d’etat in Montenegro validate the Montenegrin Government’s allegations, in addition to the growing evidence the latter has gathered.  Serbia is a Russian ally.  The Montenegrin Government alleges the Russians attempted to overthrow Montenegro’s government and assassinate its Prime Minister on the day of parliamentary elections in October. 

The pro-Western premier, who was reelected, supports joining the North Atlantic Treaty Organization.  He defeated a coalition of pro-Russian parties.  

            The Russian Federation, led by a Communist dictator, Vladimir, Putin, has actively been interfering in elections throughout Europe to undermine N.A.T.O. and the European Union, in order to reconstitute the Soviet Union and capture former Eastern European satellites into its orbit.  The Russian Federation has spread its propaganda to Europe and the United States and backed far-right nationalist parties, even in Western Europe, as Putin, a former Soviet intelligence officer, has pretended to be a champion of nationalism.    

The Russia Federation has even interfered in the American presidential election, through Internet hacking, propaganda and disinformation.  The unprecedented foreign interference into the elections in the U.S. appears to have been successful in electing a majority of Republican Electors, although the election results have not been certified.  Their party’s pro-authoritarian presidential nominee, who is backed significantly by far-right nationalists, is favorable to Putin, including acquiescing to Russian aggression in Ukraine and supporting Russian war crimes committed in Syria to back the terrorist-sponsoring Russian-allied Bashar Assad regime.  

Putin used democratic elections to be elected Prime Minister and later President of the Russian Federation, after which he implemented authoritarianism to guarantee he would remain in power, with only a democratic pretense of free and fair elections, after a crackdown on dissent and the independence of the judiciary.  He has been attempting similarly to use democratic elections to undermine liberty abroad and, as in the case of Montenegro, like his invasions of Georgia and Ukraine, the Russian dictator is willing to use force to achieve his dream of restoring the Communist Soviet Empire.  

It is vital to resist Putin, as well as to be vigilant against the loss of representative government to authoritarianism through the election of those who would be autocrats.