The President of the Republika Srpska entity, Milorad Dodik, stated on Monday that NATO Secretary General Mark Rutte was wrong in his assessment, echoing similar remarks he made over the weekend about US Secretary of State Marco Rubio. Dodik's comments come in response to growing international criticism of the political crisis in Bosnia and Herzegovina, which was triggered by his unilateral moves that bypass the BiH Constitution and legal framework.

Dodik characterized international support for the Office of the High Representative (OHR), including that of Rutte, as “short-sighted,” calling the institution a “criminal organization.”

“OHR is funded by USAID, which the new US administration has labeled a criminal organization. By that logic, OHR is also a criminal organization. I believe that with the new American administration's assertiveness, such expenses and support for this kind of organization will also come under scrutiny,” Dodik stated in Banja Luka.

He acknowledged Rutte's influential position but insisted that this did not make him correct.

Dodik further argued that his criticisms of the OHR reflect remnants of the so-called “deep state” and that this structure is now collapsing, particularly in the United States.

“If Donald Trump has said that Biden’s administration is the worst in US history and that it has caused immense damage, you can only imagine the chaos and injustice Biden’s people have created here,” Dodik said.

He expressed confidence that the “cleaning up of the mess” left by Biden’s administration would extend beyond the US and into other areas where American influence has been felt.

Dodik also noted that the new US administration is “not particularly enthusiastic about NATO,” claiming that the alliance is no longer viewed with the same level of commitment as in previous years.

“We also notice that there isn’t much enthusiasm for the EU either. There’s a lack of contact between the Brussels administration and the US administration, though there are contacts with individual member states. It’s also evident that Brussels is trying to build a bloc against Trump,” Dodik stated.

He went on to criticize NATO’s political stance, arguing that the alliance should not be engaging in political assessments but should remain purely a defensive organization, as it defines itself.

“However, NATO has turned into an offensive alliance. It has bombed the Serbs twice, using depleted uranium. We have no reason to look favorably upon that alliance, no matter how powerful and strong they may be,” he said.

Dodik claimed that NATO had previously sought to “disempower” Serbia and Republika Srpska before Aleksandar Vucic came to power, at a time when Serbia’s military was in a weakened state. Now, he argued, Serbia has one of the most respected military forces in the Balkans, with a “strictly defensive policy.”

Over the weekend, Dodik also criticized U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio, saying that Rubio had made a “series of mistakes” in condemning Dodik’s actions and labeling him a security threat.