Republika Srpska President Milorad Dodik, although in the process of recovering from surgery, reiterated his secessionist plans and dreams, saying that the political goal of the current government is the independence and autonomy of Republika Srpska.
He said that this entity faced severe political and economic pressures and sanctions last year, but that the leadership managed to overcome all of this, although it fought on several fronts.
Dodik emphasized that the decisions of the US administration have hit companies, banks and citizens. He said that there was also pressure related to property, but that was also stopped.
“We are not naive to think that this is the end, but we believe that everyone has understood that this group will not allow the seizure of property and that it is ready to go to the end. And as for that end, for them, for us it is a political goal. And that is the independence and autonomy of Republika Srpska. And everyone has understood that. We had laws passed by an unelected foreigner, and that is not a European standard,” said Dodik.
Dodik says he could have avoided both sanctions and a trial.
“(Chairwoman of the Presidency of BiH) Željka Cvijanović could have done it too. When she was last in America, they offered her to break up the government in RS. She told them that she was a serious woman and that they could not ask her to do that. In the middle of America. A month after her return, she received sanctions. Why? Why sanctions against the Prime Minister of Republika Srpska Radovan Višković, the Speaker of the National Assembly Nenad Stevandić, the Minister of Health or the Secretary General of the President’s Office,” Dodik said.
After the recent assumption of office of the new US President Donald Trump, Dodik expects a better situation for RS when it comes to the imposed US sanctions and American policy in general.
“Of course I hope so, because I know how the sanctions story was played out. It’s all the result of the actions of the opposition and Michael Murphy, who is in good standing at the State Department. The opposition wrote him lists of people and companies, and then he, through Antony Blinken, completed it. However, I think that will change,” Dodik said.
He pointed out that Republika Srpska also has some friends in the US.
“We shouldn’t forget that we influenced Serbs in the US to vote for Trump. We did it in 2016 and 2024. We are interested in having sanctions lifted on people. The companies are finished, they have been shut down. We are also considering suing Murphy, but it is much more important that we have information that everyone in the department dealing with sanctions will be changed. Trump will work differently than the Democrats,” Dodik said.
He stressed that Republika Srpska’s goal is a neutral position for America.
“So far, they have been unilateral and have done everything to destroy the Dayton Peace Agreement. When we see that, we have no reason to defend it. I expect the Americans to say that they are leaving it to the people of BiH to decide the fate of the country, and we know what we will decide,” said Dodik, Klix.ba writes.
