Russia Downplays Sanctions Rift With Montenegro

Andrei Nesterenko, the Russian ambassador to Podgorica, said Montenegro's sanctions will not harm Russia, adding that relations between the two countries had always been friendly.

In March, Montenegro backed EU sanctions against 33 Ukrainian and Russian officials, some of them close to Russian President Vladimir Putin.

The sanctions were described as restrictive measures against activities that "undermine or endanger Ukraine's "territorial integrity, sovereignty and independence."

Nesterenko said his contacts with people in Montenegro suggested they do not approve of the decision.

"If we asked people in the Montenegrin government what the intention was with imposing these sanctions, no one would know the answer," Nesterenko said.

On Tuesday, the Montenegrin government announced it was supporting the latest decision of the Council of Europe to introduce sanctions against 12 more Russian and Ukrainian citizens. They are banned from entering EU countries and their assets have been frozen.

Among them is the chairman of the Russian State Duma, Sergei Naryshkin, the  chairwoman of the Federation Council Valentina Matviyenko, Deputy Prime Minister Dmitry Rogozin and presidential adviser Sergei Glazyev.

In April, in response to Montenegro's sanctions, Russian media said Moscow was preparing its own counter-measures, such as abolition of visa-free regime and trade preferences.