"He's the strangest president in the history of the United States"
'Stupid statements' - Trump WW3 jibe stuns Montenegro
"He's the strangest president in the history of the United States," Ranko Krivokapic told the BBC.
Mr Krivokapic knows a thing or two about being a president. He served as President of the Parliament of Montenegro from its independence in 2006 until 2016 - and remains president of the opposition Social Democratic Party.
It is fair to say he is unimpressed with the current US president's approach to diplomacy and world affairs.
"With this kind of president, with his knowledge of foreign policy, who knows what is going on? Foreign policy is not his big thing."
In an interview with Fox News, Mr Trump suggested that this country of fewer than a million citizens could somehow provoke a global conflict. His reply to interviewer Tucker Carlson caused jaws to drop on the Adriatic coast.
"Let's say Montenegro, which joined last year, is attacked," Carlson told the president. "Why should my son go to Montenegro to defend it from attack?"
He was referring to
Article 5 of the Nato founding treaty, which sees an attack on one member as an attack on all. Mr Trump understood his point.
"They're very strong people, they're very aggressive people. They may get aggressive and, congratulations, you're in World War Three," Mr Trump extemporised.
Article 5 has been invoked just once, by the US, after the attacks of 11 September 2001.
Boris Raonic, programme director at the Civic Alliance human rights organisation, was among those who could barely believe what they were hearing.
"We are used to having [a US president] who unites and promotes Western values; now, instead of a leader, we have a showman."
Mr Raonic says even this would not matter so much if Mr Trump had bothered to study the countries and issues about which he was making snap pronouncements.
"He is obviously not reading what the state department prepares for him, so we get these stupid statements, which clearly show a lack of knowledge and respect for role that the US had until now."
Montenegrin prosecutors allege that Moscow was behind a subsequent apparent coup attempt in 2016; Russia has denied responsibility.
Ranko Krivokapic says he is concerned that his country may have been a bargaining chip at the Trump-Putin summit.
"I hope Montenegro was not on the table in Helsinki; I hope Mr Trump was just giving a reaction to the Fox question, nothing deeper.
"It is very important for us that we are part of Nato. The issue is practically closed and accepted in Montenegro; we are accepted as part of the West."
I'm reminded of this:
