[Congressional Record Volume 163, Number 45 (Wednesday, March 15, 2017)]
[Senate]
[Pages S1827-S1830]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




                    MONTENEGRO'S ACCESSION INTO NATO

  Mr. McCAIN. Mr. President, I am pleased to be in the company of the 
distinguished Senator from Maryland, Mr. Cardin, the ranking member on 
the Foreign Relations Committee and one who is most knowledgeable on 
issues of national security and foreign policy. I believe that Senator 
Shaheen from New Hampshire will be joining us.
  This is an issue that I am sorry has to be brought up in this 
fashion. It concerns a little country that wants to be a part of the 
European Union, that wants to be a part of the values, customs, and 
ideals of the West and has been under significant pressure and even 
assault from Russia.
  In fact, although it wasn't as recognized as it should have been at 
the time, Russia has sought to keep Montenegro from becoming a NATO 
member, launching an anti-NATO campaign that has been both brazen and 
unscrupulous. Russia has exerted outsized influence to stop 
Montenegro's membership, calling further NATO enlargement a 
``provocation.'' Russia went so far as to plot a coup d'etat in which 
they planned to assassinate the Montenegrin Prime Minister and seize 
control of government buildings in the capital. I repeat: The Russians 
tried a coup in Montenegro. They wanted to kill the Prime Minister and 
overthrow the government in order to keep Montenegro from becoming a 
part of NATO.
  If we send this clear message to Russia that it won't have veto power 
over NATO enlargement decisions--and, frankly, I am puzzled that there 
is any objection to this, considering the fact that Montenegro has 
spent the last 7 years preparing for NATO eligibility. This has 
strengthened the country's defense and intelligence forces and 
transformed the country into a strong Western ally.
  It is a small country and a beautiful country, but it is an important 
Balkan nation. Its membership in NATO would improve the stability in 
the region, where, I know my colleagues would agree, there is great 
instability.
  Stopping Montenegro's NATO candidacy would represent a significant 
shift in U.S. policy and signify an acquiescence to Moscow's growing 
influence in the Balkans, producing a ripple effect throughout the 
region that would have profound ramifications on our shared security 
interests.
  The United States has benefited tremendously from peace and stability 
in Europe, and the foundation of that

[[Page S1828]]

peace and stability is NATO. That is why we should stand with 
Montenegro or risk undermining our vision of a Europe that is whole, 
free, and at peace.
  I see my two colleagues here, Senator Cardin and Senator Shaheen. So 
I will conclude by saying this. This is a small country. This is a 
small country that has been the scene of conflict for centuries. This 
is a small country with a freely elected democratic government. This is 
a small country whose population wants to be part of NATO. They want to 
be part of the West. If we keep turning this down after 25 of the 28 
governments in NATO have voted in favor of Montenegro's accession to 
NATO, my friends, we would be sending a terrible, terrible message.
  So in a few minutes, I will ask unanimous consent for us, as the U.S. 
Senate, to move forward with treaty consent.
  First, I would like to yield to my colleague from Maryland, Senator 
Cardin.
  The PRESIDING OFFICER. The Senator from Maryland.
  Mr. CARDIN. Mr. President, first let me thank Senator McCain for his 
strong leadership on this issue and so many issues that deal with U.S. 
national security.
  Montenegro is a small country, but the principle that no non-NATO 
country can veto accession into NATO is very much a major national 
security issue for the United States. Make no mistake about it. Russia 
is trying to interfere with Montenegro's accession into NATO.
  I am also pleased to hear from Senator Shaheen, who has been one of 
the great leaders in the Senate on our European transatlantic 
relations, and I know how strongly she feels.
  I just want to underscore points that Senator McCain made. I am the 
ranking Democrat on the Senate Foreign Relations Committee, and the 
Senate Foreign Relations Committee did approve unanimously by voice 
vote the accession of Montenegro into NATO. The Presiding Officer was 
part of that discussion, and I thank him for his help in moving this 
issue forward.
  This is not a controversial issue among the Members of the Senate or 
the Congress. This is something that should have been done by now.
  As Senator McCain has pointed out, 25 of the 28 nations have already 
ratified Montenegro's accession into NATO. It requires all 28. Another 
two are working actively on confirmation, and the last is the United 
States. We should be first, not the last. We should get this done. It 
should have been done before now.
  The point that Senator McCain made I have to underscore because we 
know about Russia's engagement here in the United States in our 
election. Well, let me tell you something. As to what Montenegro 
experienced during their parliamentary elections, where Russia put 
money into that country and tried to do violence in order to prevent 
their Parliament from ratifying the accession into NATO, we have to 
stand up against that type of bullying by Russia, that interference by 
Russia.
  As we are here today debating, Montenegro has been subject to a wave 
of anti-NATO and anti-Western propaganda emanating from Russia. There 
are also allegations that a recent coup planned had Russian ties.
  Blocking Montenegro's ability to join NATO will have real 
implications for how NATO is perceived. Once again, Russia does not 
have a veto on our enlargement of NATO. It is in the United States' 
national security interests that we ratify Montenegro's accession into 
NATO as soon as possible. I hope we can do it yet today.
  I yield the floor.
  The PRESIDING OFFICER. The Senator from New Hampshire.
  Mrs. SHAHEEN. Mr. President, I am happy to join my colleagues, 
Senator McCain and Senator Cardin, in urging the Senate to approve 
Montenegro's accession into NATO. It is long overdue, as they have both 
said. This is something that has been approved by the Foreign Relations 
Committee not once but twice--last year in the last Congress and again 
in January of this year. We have heard expert testimony from a whole 
bipartisan group of diplomats, national security experts, and former 
administration officials, urging quick action on Montenegro's 
accession. There is no reason for any further delay.
  My colleagues here who have been such great leaders on the importance 
of responding to Russia's actions, of addressing their interference in 
our elections here in America, but also of addressing what they are 
doing in Europe, have said it very eloquently. We need to get this 
done; and 25 of the 28 member states have already ratified the 
protocol, according to their own procedures. The Senate must act.
  One of the priorities of the NATO summit last year in Warsaw was 
bolstering NATO's resilience and its capacity to deter Russian 
aggression against NATO's eastern flank. At that summit, NATO invited 
Montenegro to become its 29th member.
  As Senators McCain and Cardin have already said, Russia is opposed to 
Montenegro's accession into NATO. It has warned Montenegro of 
retaliation if it pursues NATO membership. Furthermore, we have seen 
what that retaliation looked like.
  During Montenegro's general election last October, 20 people were 
arrested on suspicion of plotting, with support from Russia, to 
overthrow the government and assassinate the Prime Minister--all 
because he has supported NATO accession.
  When we were in Munich for the security conference a couple of weeks 
ago, Senator McCain and I and the congressional delegation that was 
there heard from Montenegrin Prime Minister Djukanovic, who talked 
about what he experienced from the Russians and about the Russian 
effort to overthrow his government, a duly elected democracy.
  Just last month, their chief special prosecutor announced that his 
government had evidence that Russia's Federal Security Service was 
involved in a failed coup.
  Mr. President, I have two news articles about this story that I ask 
unanimous consent be printed in the Record so that everybody 
understands that it is very clear what is going on.
  There being no objection, the material was ordered to be printed in 
the Record, as follows:

                       [From CNN, Feb. 21, 2017]

             Montenegro: Russia Involved in Attempted Coup

                (By Milena Veselinovic and Darran Simon)

       Montenegro's chief special prosecutor has told a local TV 
     station authorities believe Russian security services were 
     involved in a plot to kill the country's then-prime minister 
     and overthrow the government last October.
       Milivoje Katnic said Montenegro officials have evidence 
     that Russia's Federal Security Service was involved in the 
     failed coup, according to his statements Sunday on Atlas TV. 
     The allegation drew an immediate rebuke and denial from 
     Russian officials.
       Katnic said the plot was an attempt to stop Montenegro from 
     joining the North Atlantic Treaty Organization, or NATO. 
     ``Behind these events are nationalist structures from Russia, 
     but we now know that certain Russian state authorities were 
     involved also on a certain level,'' Katnic said.
       Katnic said the alleged mastermind behind the failed coup 
     was a man named Eduard Sismakov, who is a former deputy 
     Russian military attache in Poland. Sismakov was deported to 
     Russia for espionage in 2014, according to the prosecutor.
       According to Katnic, Sismakov is also known as Eduard 
     Shirokov, and was issued a passport with the different name 
     by Russian authorities.
       ``The passport was given to him by certain Russian state 
     bodies under another name, and he is a member of the Russian 
     military structures,'' Katnic said. ``And his name is Eduard 
     Sismakov, that is his personal identity and we will charge 
     him under that personal identity.''
       Katnic added: ``It is clear that the passport could not 
     have been issued under another name as well as everything 
     else--sending to Serbia, organizing everything--without the 
     involvement of certain structures.''
       The Interpol Red Notice says Sismakov--listed under the 
     name Eduard Shirokov--prepared acts against the 
     constitutional order and security of Montenegro. The Interpol 
     Red Notice is an international database of suspects that is 
     shared with other law enforcement agencies. Sismakov's 
     country of birth is listed as Russia.
       Katnic said another alleged plotter is Vladimir Popov. 
     Popov, who is of Russian origin, is also wanted by Interpol 
     for the same acts, according to the Interpol Red Notice.
       Katnic said another alleged plotter, Nemanja Ristic, was 
     involved in the coup attempt, and Ristic has said he was 
     connected to Russia's Federal Security Service. His task was 
     to recruit a team to send to Montenegro to execute the coup, 
     Katnic said. Ristic is wanted by Montenegro for attempted 
     terrorism, according to Interpol's Red Notice.
       The Kremlin's spokesman, Dmitry Peskov, on Monday dismissed 
     Katnic's accusations.
       ``Day after day, we are faced with absurd accusations about 
     Russia. Day after day we

[[Page S1829]]

     deny these accusations. We say absolutely that there cannot 
     be talk about the official involvement of Moscow in the 
     internal events in Montenegro. Russia does not get involved 
     and will not get involved especially in such countries as 
     Montenegro with which we have a very good relationship,'' 
     Peskov said during a conference call with journalists.
       Montenegro is in accession talks to join the alliance after 
     NATO formally invited the southeastern European county in 
     December 2015. The move spurred threats from Russian 
     officials, who are at odds with NATO over a multitude of 
     issues, including Turkey's downing of a Russian warplane in 
     December 2015.
       At the time, Russian President Vladimir Putin called the 
     incident ``an enemy act.''
       Becoming an official member of NATO would be significant 
     for Montenegro because, under the alliance's charter, any 
     attack on Montenegro would be seen as an attack on all NATO 
     members.
       The ratification process for Montenegro to join NATO is in 
     its final stages, according to NATO.
                                  ____


                   [From the Guardian, Nov. 11, 2016]

     Serbia Deports Russians Suspected of Plotting Montenegro Coup

       Serbia has deported a group of Russians suspected of 
     involvement in a coup plot in neighbouring Montenegro, the 
     Guardian has learned, in the latest twist in a murky sequence 
     of events that apparently threatened the lives of two 
     European prime ministers.
       The plotters were allegedly going to dress in police 
     uniforms to storm the Montenegrin parliament in Podgorica, 
     shoot the prime minister, Milo Djukanovic, and install a pro-
     Moscow party.
       The Russian fingerprints on the October plot have 
     heightened intrigue about Moscow's ambitions in a part of 
     Europe hitherto thought to be gravitating towards the EU's 
     orbit.
       A group of 20 Serbians and Montenegrins, some of whom had 
     fought with Moscow-backed separatists in eastern Ukraine, 
     were arrested in Podgorica, the Montenegrin capital. In 
     Serbia, meanwhile, several Russian nationals suspected of 
     coordinating the plot were caught with =120,000 and special 
     forces uniforms.
       According to a Belgrade daily, the Russians also had 
     encryption equipment and were able to keep track of 
     Djukanovic's whereabouts.
       Diplomatic sources told the Guardian the Belgrade 
     government quietly deported the Russians after the 
     intervention of the head of the Russian security council, 
     Nikolai Patrushev, who flew to Belgrade on 26 October in an 
     apparent effort to contain the scandal. The country's 
     interior minister Nebojsa Stefanovic denied the government 
     carried out any deportations connected to the plot.
       A source close to the Belgrade government said Patrushev, a 
     former FSB (federal security service) chief, apologised for 
     what he characterised as a rogue operation that did not have 
     the Kremlin's sanction. In Moscow, a Security Council 
     official told Tass that Patrushev ``didn't apologise to 
     anyone, because there is nothing to apologise for''.
       The Serbian government was further rattled three days after 
     Patrushev's visit when a cache of arms was found near the 
     home of the prime minister, Aleksandar Vucic. The weapons 
     were discovered at a junction where Vucic's car would 
     normally slow down on his way to the house.
       Stefanovic said there were ``strong suspicions'' that an 
     organised crime gang had been hired to kill Vucic for =10m, 
     but he would not specify who was behind the alleged plot, 
     saying further investigation would show whether people 
     ``outside the region'' were involved.
       ``You know the people who don't like a strong Vucic or a 
     strong government of Serbia and who could contribute some 
     money, =10m or so, to see this kind of thing done,'' 
     Stefanovic told the Guardian.
       ``We know that the people who were potentially hired to do 
     this kind of thing were from the region, but not from Serbia, 
     and that there were crime groups that are operating in the 
     region that were involved. But these were just the trigger 
     persons,'' the minister added.
       ``We believe that criminal gangs are just being used to do 
     the job, but the motives are not linked to the gangs. The 
     assassination of the prime minister is not something that 
     even they would do lightly, we believe they are being used.''
       Since the discovery of the weapons, Vucic has announced 
     plans to shake up the intelligence service, saying the 
     security situation was ``even more serious than we 
     expected.''
       ``There will be changes in the secret service,'' he told 
     the public broadcaster, RTS. ``I believed in the skills of 
     people who didn't show that they have these capacities, but 
     I'll take responsibility for this.''
       It is unclear whether there is a connection between the 
     alleged assassination plots against Vucic and Djukanovic. But 
     the intrigue of the past month comes against a backdrop of 
     fierce east-west competition.
       Djukanovic has been instrumental in pulling his country to 
     the verge of NATO membership--an accession protocol was 
     signed in May--which has dashed Russian hopes of securing a 
     naval foothold on the Adriatic. According to the Montenegrin 
     press, Moscow lobbied hard in recent years for transit and 
     maintenance facilities at the ports of Bar and Kotor.
       The importance of such facilities was demonstrated late 
     last month when a Russian carrier and its battle group was 
     denied refueling in European ports along the way to support 
     the Russian military effort in Syria.
       In Serbia, Vucic has been seeking a delicate balance 
     between NATO and Russia, and the country's armed forces have 
     conducted military exercises with both, although far more 
     frequently in recent years with NATO. Vucic has also refused 
     to grant diplomatic status to Russian officials staffing a 
     Serbian-Russian humanitarian center established in the city 
     of Nis in 2012, infuriating Moscow.
       Western officials suspect the center of being a Trojan 
     horse, which could expanded as a hub for intelligence and 
     paramilitary operations in the region. Diplomatic status, 
     they point out, would have allowed equipment to be brought in 
     without oversight by Serbian customs.
       Some analysts have suggested the operation could have been 
     mounted as a ``semi-freelance'' one, giving enough distance 
     from Moscow to be plausibly deniable if was uncovered.
       ``Both sides have an interest in playing this as a 
     freelance, vigilante-type thing, it allows them both to save 
     face. Whether that's actually true is unclear. There's simply 
     not enough evidence either to support or disprove it,'' said 
     Vladimir Frolov, a Moscow-based analyst.
       ``Judging from the amount of logistical and financial 
     support they got, it looks likely they acted with at least a 
     tacit understanding that this was sanctioned.''
       A few days after the would-be coup, a former intelligence 
     officer, Leonid Reshetnikov, who ran a hawkish research 
     institute in Moscow, was relieved of his duties by Putin. The 
     Russian Institute for Strategic Studies has a branch office 
     in Belgrade, and Reshetnikov had given strong backing to the 
     anti-Nato opposition party in Montenegro.
       A regional analyst who did not want to be named said his 
     understanding from intelligence sources was that the 
     incidents in the Balkans were probably linked to Russian 
     attempts to gain influence and leverage in the Balkans in the 
     run-up to an anticipated Hillary Clinton US presidency, which 
     was expected to take a harder line on Russian activity in the 
     region.
       In Moscow, the Russian foreign ministry took a dim view of 
     this Guardian report on the Balkan events. Maria Zakharova, 
     spokeswoman for the Russian foreign ministry wrote: ``The 
     publication in the Guardian with a link to `sources' saying 
     that Patrushev apologised for `Russian nationalists' who had 
     planned to kill the prime minister of Montenegro is a classic 
     provocation aimed at spreading knowingly false information.''

  Mrs. SHAHEEN. The best thing we can do in the United States in the 
Senate is to approve Montenegro's accession because that sends a very 
clear message to Russia that we are not going to put up with that kind 
of interference.
  What I don't understand is why anybody in this body wants to prevent 
us from approving this accession. Are they supporting Russia in their 
activities? Are they opposed to NATO? What is the deal here? They need 
to come forward and tell us what their objections are. Why aren't they 
letting this go through? Why are they willing to stand up for Russia 
and not for Montenegro and not for Europe and not for the United 
States?
  Those are the questions that I have, and I want whoever objects to 
come to the floor and tell us why they are objecting, because 
Montenegro and our NATO partners deserve at least that much.
  It is now time to stand up strong for Montenegro, for their right to 
self-determination, for their right to join NATO, for the West and for 
NATO. I hope that we are going to be able to get this through this 
afternoon.
  I will defer to my colleague from Arizona to make the unanimous 
consent request.
  Mr. McCAIN. Mr. President, I want to thank the Senator from New 
Hampshire and the Senator from Maryland. This issue probably doesn't 
matter a lot to many of our voters. It probably is not something that 
is uppermost in their minds. But because of your hard work here in the 
Senate and your indepth knowledge of the issues and challenges that 
face this country, in what is arguably the most uncertain and turbulent 
time in the last 70 years, you have taken the time and the effort to 
learn about this small country, this small beautiful country whose only 
wish, whose only desire is to be a part of our community of NATO so 
that they can come under the umbrella of protection and move forward 
with a thriving democracy in a very volatile part of Europe.
  I want to especially thank Senator Shaheen and Senator Cardin for 
their advocacy, affection, and appreciation

[[Page S1830]]

of the citizens of the small country who are only seeking what we 
sometimes take so much for granted. So I especially want to thank them.
  I also want to thank the chairman of the Foreign Relations Committee, 
Senator Corker, who also was very involved in getting this through.
  So, Mr. President, if there is objection--and I note that the Senator 
from Kentucky is on the floor, and I will say before I read this, if 
there is objection, you are achieving the objectives of Vladimir Putin. 
You are achieving the objectives of trying to dismember this small 
country that has already been the subject of an attempted coup.
  I have no idea why anyone would object to this, except that I will 
say, if they object, they are now carrying out the desires and 
ambitions of Vladimir Putin, and I do not say that lightly.


             unanimous consent request--executive calendar

  So, Mr. President, I ask unanimous consent that at a time to be 
determined by the majority leader, in consultation with the Democratic 
leader, the Senate proceed to executive session to consider Calendar 
No. 1, Montenegro, Treaty Document No. 114-12; that the treaty be 
considered as having advanced through the various parliamentary stages 
up to and including the presentation of the resolution of ratification; 
that any committee declarations be agreed to as applicable; that there 
be no amendments in order to the treaty or the resolution of 
ratification; that there be 2 hours for debate, equally divided in the 
usual form; that upon the use or yielding back of time, the Senate 
proceed to vote on the resolution; that any statements be printed in 
the Record; that if the resolution of ratification is agreed to, the 
motion to reconsider be considered made and laid upon the table; that 
the President be immediately notified of the Senate's action; that if 
the resolution is not agreed to, the treaty be returned to the 
calendar, and that there be no motions or points of order in order 
other than a motion to reconsider; and the Senate then resume 
legislative session.
  The PRESIDING OFFICER. The Senator from Kentucky.
  Mr. PAUL. I object.
  The PRESIDING OFFICER. Objection is heard.
  The Senator from Arizona.
  Mr. McCAIN. Mr. President, I note the Senator from Kentucky is 
leaving the floor without justification or any rationale for the action 
he has just taken. It is really remarkable that a Senator is blocking a 
treaty that is supported by an overwhelming number--perhaps 98, at 
least, of his colleagues. To come to the floor and object and walk 
away--walk away--the only conclusion that can be drawn when he walks 
away is that he has no argument to be made. He has no justification for 
his objection to having a small nation that is under assault from the 
Russians be part of NATO.
  So I repeat again: The Senator from Kentucky is now working for 
Vladimir Putin.
  I yield the floor.
  The PRESIDING OFFICER. The Senator from New Hampshire.
  Mrs. SHAHEEN. Mr. President, I just have to follow up on Senator 
McCain's comments. How disappointing it is that we saw the Senator from 
Kentucky come to the floor to object to something that is clearly in 
the national security interests of this country--to support 
Montenegro's accession to NATO. It is in Europe's interest, in 
Montenegro's interest, and it is in America's interest.
  I have to agree with Senator McCain. He is working in support of 
Russia's interests in America or he is holding this hostage for 
something that is totally unrelated to what we are doing with 
Montenegro's accession into NATO. In either case, it is totally 
inappropriate.
  When are people in the Senate going to stop holding hostage things 
that are totally unrelated to the work on the floor of the Senate and 
start acting like adults and doing what we ought to be doing in this 
body? It is so hard to understand why somebody is here doing that, and, 
you know, I am disappointed that he is not willing to come to the floor 
and say why he is holding this up. If he has a good reason, he should 
be here talking about that reason, and let's see if we can find a 
compromise. But if he is not willing to come to the floor and talk 
about it, what does that mean? What does that mean for the future of 
this kind of treaty? And what is Montenegro's right to self-
determination and our national security interests? It is just 
unfathomable.
  So I am going--I think we should all keep coming to the floor on a 
regular basis, and I am hopeful that if we do that, we will eventually 
be able to find out what Senator Paul's objection is and address that 
because we can't let this stay in limbo in perpetuity.
  The PRESIDING OFFICER. The Senator from Maryland.
  Mr. CARDIN. Mr. President, I want to underscore one point here 
because people watching this may not understand the specific request 
that Senator McCain made.
  What Senator McCain asked is that this resolution be brought to the 
floor of the U.S. Senate with debate and vote. Every Member can voice 
their views and then vote up or down. Senator McCain is absolutely 
right: On a vote there are going to be 97, 98, maybe even more Senators 
voting in favor of this resolution. I hope it is 100 at the end of the 
day. But we have one Senator objecting to the consideration.
  We have to have some democratic principles here. This is a national 
security issue. I think we should underscore the point of what Senator 
McCain was requesting. He didn't ask unanimous consent that it be 
passed; it is unanimous consent that we have a chance to vote on it.
  Each of us could have cast our vote and expressed our views. We are 
not denying any Senator the right to be heard on this issue or to cast 
their vote on this issue. It is disappointing that one Senator is 
holding this issue up, and it is affecting our national security.
  I yield the floor.
  Mr. McCAIN. Mr. President, I thank my colleagues, and I know I speak 
for 90-some U.S. Senators with a message to the brave people of 
Montenegro who are upholding democracy, who have fought against a coup 
that would have overthrown their government, who cherish freedom, who 
cherish the alliance that it has held so long for so many years.
  We will not stop until we ratify your entrance into the North 
Atlantic Treaty Organization. I pledge to the people of Montenegro that 
Senator Shaheen, Senator Cardin, and I, and many other Senators, will 
not stop until this resolution is passed and we can strengthen not only 
Montenegro the nation and NATO, but the region.
  Mr. President, I yield the floor.
  Mr. CARDIN. I suggest the absence of a quorum.
  The PRESIDING OFFICER. The clerk will call the roll.
  The legislative clerk proceeded to call the roll.
  Ms. HASSAN. Mr. President, I ask unanimous consent that the order for 
the quorum call be rescinded.
  The PRESIDING OFFICER. Without objection, it is so ordered.

                          ____________________