NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg said Montenegro will be a member of NATO as soon as all 28 members ratify the accession protocol. He said the alliance was working with Georgia and Ukraine “as close partners.”
Polish president Andrzej Duda gave an upbeat opening speech in which he called the Warsaw summit a "historic event during which the alliance will prove its strength, its unity, and its efficiency."
He called on NATO members to show a united front as they tackle the "significant challenges" facing the alliance and address "growing fears for the future of the world as we know it."
Duda added that NATO was happy to welcome Montenegro. He described Montenegro's inclusion as a “positive example for other nations that aspire” to join the alliance.
Tensions are high as the NATO summit kicks off in Warsaw amid strained ties with Russia, Britain’s "Brexit" vote to leave the European Union, attacks by Islamic State (IS) extremists, and Europe's unprecedented refugee crisis. In a commentary published on the Financial Times website on July 8, U.S. President Barack Obama said the summit "may be the most important moment for our transatlantic alliance since the end of the cold war."
Meanwhile in Russia, the pro-Kremlin tabloid Moskovsky Komsomolets issued a thinly veiled threat.