The government of Montenegro has defended its contribution to peace in response to a comment from the U.S. President Donald Trump, who said earlier this week that the tiny Balkan state's "aggressive" people were capable of triggering "World War III."

In a July 19 statement, the Montenegrin government said, "We are proud of our history, our friendship and alliance with USA is strong and permanent."

"[Montenegro] was the first [country] in Europe to resist fascism, and today as a new NATO member and a candidate for EU membership it contributes to peace and stability not only on the European continent but worldwide, and along with U.S. soldiers in Afghanistan," the statement said.

The statement also stressed that while building friendly relations with other countries, Montenegro was ready "to boldly and defensively protect and defend our own national interests."

"In today's world, it does not matter how big or small you are, but to what extent you cherish the values of freedom, solidarity, and democracy. Therefore, the friendship and the alliance of Montenegro and the United States of America is strong and permanent," the statement concluded.

In his interview to Fox News television aired on July 17, Trump said Montenegrins were strong, "very aggressive" people and suggested he feared NATO's newest member could drag the alliance into World War III.

Trump then acknowledged that under Article 5, which enshrines the principal of collective defense, NATO would have to defend Montenegro if it is attacked because "that's the way it was set up."

Montenegro became NATO's 29th member in June 2017, marking a historic geopolitical turn toward the transatlantic alliance amid opposition from Russia.

Russia has long opposed any further NATO enlargement and has bitterly criticized Podgorica's accession to the alliance.