Ukraine and Bosnia and Herzegovina must receive the EU candidate status at the same time because otherwise, it would encourage pro-Russian forces in BiH to continue with even greater destabilization of the country and blockades, said BiH Presidency member Zeljko Komsic.

“It may sound far fetched to some, but the degree of pro-Russian political destruction in Bosnia and Herzegovina is equal to that in Ukraine. In that sense, we cannot be comforted by the fact that they are not shooting at us if it is already clear that they are destroying the state and disavowing everything that would be beneficial for the state and all its citizens. That is why BiH and Ukraine must receive the candidate status together,” Komsic said in an interview with the Autonomija web portal.

He assessed that BiH suffers great economic consequences due to Russia's aggression against Ukraine, because there was a sharp increase in the prices of goods and basic necessities caused by the market shock, but added that the political consequences are more significant.

Asked whether the West had learned something from Russia's aggression against Ukraine and whether it finally realized that the key source of instability in the region is the Russian branch in the Balkans – Serbia and the Republika Srpska entity, Komsic said it was best seen through Western moves toward anti-constitutional activities conducted by BiH presidency member Milorad Dodik and the Republika Srpska authorities.

“In the political sense, so far only the United States and Great Britain have been concrete, while Germany has started with sporadic economic sanctions. Sanctions imposed on Dodik are not enough. Dodik is continuing with his destabilizing policy and he will not stop,” Komsic said.

According to him, Dodik's announcement of prolonging the adoption of the unconstitutional law in the RS National Assembly, which takes over the state's competencies in the field of defence and forms the Republika Srpska Army, is just throwing dust in the eyes of some EU member states so as not to follow US and Britain sanctions.