The president of the Republika Srpska (RS) entity in Bosnia and Herzegovina, Milorad Dodik, told RTRS that he will seriously reconsider whether the entity should pursue the European path. He also strongly criticised the West, spoke about efforts to secede the entity from the country, welcomed the election of Donald Trump in the US and expressed support for Vladimir Putin.

“Europe has failed, everything has failed; by the time we get there, it won’t even exist anymore,” Dodik said.

He also criticized the work of the U.S. ambassador to Bosnia and Herzegovina (BiH), as he has done countless times before, using derogatory language. Buoyed by the prospect of Donald Trump's return, Dodik predicted significant changes in BiH.

Dodik expressed dissatisfaction with the actions of American and European diplomats, emphasizing the role of U.S. Democrats in what he described as the undermining of the Dayton Agreement. He expressed hope that the return of a Republican administration would bring about change.

Speaking about relations with the international community, he criticized German and American policies and rejected the authority of the High Representative Christian Schmidt and the Constitutional Court of BiH:

“We do not accept Schmidt. We do not accept the Constitutional Court. We will pass our own laws and restore the Medicines Agency.”

Commenting on the situation in Ukraine, Dodik criticized Western policies and accused Western powers of deceiving Russia during negotiations:

“Merkel admitted they deceived them during the Minsk Agreement, yet they accuse Putin, who is defending Russia,” he said.

Dodik concluded by asserting that Republika Srpska will continue to fight for its interests, regardless of pressures from Sarajevo or the international community:

“We will not allow injustice to be imposed on us. We will defend our positions no matter what.”

He claimed to have insights into the moves Donald Trump will make, asserting they will be markedly different from those of previous administrations.

Dodik also reflected on the past year, describing it as extremely challenging for him and his associates:

“We defended the people; we did not think about our own comfort,” he said.

Dodik commented on the sanctions imposed on his associates and family:

“That is something I will not forgive. It is personal,” he said.