According to public opinion polls, Russia and President Vladimir Putin’s popularity among Montenegrin citizens is increasing[1]. Positive views of Russia are currently greater than that of the US and EU, perceive Russia's weapons unrivalled and the best, and see Putin as a capable leader. Almost half of the Montenegrin citizens consider Russia to be the strongest military force, while just over a third consider it to be the NATO alliance. Likewise, most voters of the strongest opposition parties dominantly believe in Russian military supremacy over NATO[2]. This is a result of the fact that the narrative about Russian military power has been spreading in the media space of Montenegro for some time.
Pro-Russian views on major political issues are promoted almost daily, particularly through portals and print media. Particularly noteworthy is the glorification of Russian weapons and military. A large number of media outlets in Serbia, which are also widely available in Montenegro, have devoted a significant part of their editorial policy to extolling everything Russian, with an emphasis on the narratives mentioned. This also applies to mass-circulating tabloids, such as Kurir, Informer, Alo, Srpski Telegraf and media with a long-standing traditional news outlets (e.g. Večernje Novosti, Politika, Borba). Montenegrin portal In4s has even a special "Russian View" where it publishes dozens of such articles. Curiously, there appears to be a disconnect between editorial and policy and content with some publications; specifically, it is also transmitted by media that identifies as pro-European, NATO, EU membership, and for Montenegrin independence.
One example is the Avangard hypersonic, nuclear-capable glide vehicle. This latest addition to the Russian arsenal is presented as: terrifying, invincible, superior and most reliable. It is also described as being intellectual, miniature, invisible, supersonic, hypersonic, thermobaric, electromagnetic, space-tech, futuristic. In a recent report, Russian Defense Minister Shoigu states that Russia continues with testing the latest hypersonic weapons in order to ensure the combat potential of the Russian military. Nonetheless, subject articles fail to present sufficient facts to verify content accuracy.
The prospect of nuclear war is also part of the narrative, with articles often warning of this danger[3]. For example, a few articles convey a statement by Russian state television with the subtitle and title: “An upsetting message from Russia to its citizens: get ready for nuclear war” and “Russia openly threatened America - Is the world on the verge of nuclear war”.
There are other examples. One is an alleged laser weapon that purportedly destroys its target in less than a second. Another is a reported new Russian plane with features that border on science fiction; namely, “The aircraft will be able to fly in space and without a pilot.”
[1] International Republican Institute, Public opinion poll, December 2017, Washington. Available at: https://bit.ly/38oYgsI
[2] Ibid.
[3] This is particularly pronounced after the Kremlin suspended the Russia-US treaty on the destruction of the nuclear arsenal and after last year's US pulling out of the nuclear treaty with Russia
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