Editor’s Note: This article is part of an ongoing WPR series about NATO members’ contributions to and relationships with the alliance.
Last Friday, lawmakers in Montenegro voted 46-0 to ratify the country’s accession to NATO. However, dozens of pro-Russia lawmakers boycotted the vote, underscoring the political obstacles that have slowed Montenegro’s accession process. In an email interview, Filip Ejdus, an assistant professor at the University of Belgrade and a research fellow at the University of Bristol, explains how that process unfolded.
WPR: Why and for how long has Montenegro sought to join NATO, and what have been the biggest challenges to making that happen?