Montenegro has deepened its cooperation with NATO in recent months, hosting high-level visits from senior Alliance officials and increasing its defense spending beyond the 2% of GDP benchmark, officials said.
In October 2024, NATO Deputy Military Committee Chair Lieutenant General Andrew M. Rohling visited Podgorica, meeting with President Jakov Milatović, Prime Minister Milojko Spajić, Minister of Defence Dragan Krapović, and Chief of Defence Brigadier General Zoran Lazarević. According to a statement from Montenegro’s Ministry of Defence, discussions focused on the outcomes of the NATO Chiefs of Defence Conference, Montenegro’s contributions to the Alliance, and regional security in the Western Balkans.
Lt. Gen. Rohling also took part in the annual “To Be Secure” Forum in Budva, where he emphasized Montenegro’s strategic role within NATO and praised its commitment to collective defense efforts.
Montenegro has exceeded the NATO guideline of spending 2% of its GDP on defense – a target initially set for the end of 2024 but achieved ahead of schedule, government officials confirmed. The increase is part of Podgorica’s broader efforts to modernize its armed forces and improve interoperability with other NATO members.
“Montenegro has shown real leadership in the region by investing in its defense capabilities and supporting NATO missions abroad,” Rohling said at the forum, according to a NATO press release.
Montenegro, which joined NATO in 2017, has been actively participating in Allied operations, including the NATO training mission in Iraq, the KFOR peacekeeping mission in Kosovo, and deployments to Forward Land Forces in Eastern Europe. A recent two-month joint training in Germany alongside U.S. forces also underscored Montenegro’s growing operational integration with NATO allies.
In December 2024, NATO Secretary General Mark Rutte met with Prime Minister Spajić at NATO headquarters in Brussels. During the meeting, Rutte commended Montenegro’s support for NATO’s enhanced forward presence in Latvia and Bulgaria and its military assistance to Ukraine. According to a NATO readout of the meeting, Montenegro’s contribution to NATO’s Comprehensive Assistance Package for Ukraine was “significant.”
The leaders also discussed the growing threat posed by malign influence in the region, particularly from Russia. Montenegro has been a target of disinformation and cyber threats in recent years, and in response, it became the first country to host a NATO Counter Hybrid Support Team. It also joined the NATO Rapid Response Group, marking a notable increase in the country’s strategic posture.
“NATO remains firmly committed to the security and stability of the Western Balkans, and Montenegro is a key ally in achieving that goal,” Rutte said in a statement following the meeting.
Montenegro’s defense ministry did not immediately respond to a request for comment regarding future deployments, but government sources indicated that further military cooperation with NATO partners is being planned in light of the evolving security situation in the region.