Republika Srpska President Milorad Dodik accused the U.S. Embassy in Bosnia of deception and reiterated claims that Bosniaks in Sarajevo are creating a climate of conflict in the country, according to Serbian media reports.
“The embassy’s statement claims to support Euro-Atlantic integration, even though everyone knows that Donald Trump has issues with NATO. This is a deception, but I understand that it comes from USAID operatives who remain in the embassy. When they speak this way, they are protecting their dark past,” Dodik told RTRS, the public broadcaster of Republika Srpska.
He insisted there was no reason for concern in Republika Srpska, saying that pensions would be paid on schedule, financial obligations were being met, and economic indicators had improved in the first months of the year.
Dodik also dismissed concerns over the presence of gendarmerie units outside the Republika Srpska Government Palace in Banja Luka, calling their deployment “preventive” and based on security assessments.
“I cannot believe this is aimed at anything other than ensuring stability,” he said, responding to reports in federal media questioning whether the forces were there to protect the president.
Regarding the EUFOR mission in Bosnia, Dodik said Republika Srpska had no issues with its presence but stressed that its mandate was clearly defined.
“EUFOR’s primary role is to position itself between warring sides in case of conflict, and that suits us. We call on EUFOR to prevent any movements from the Federation of Bosnia and Herzegovina towards Republika Srpska,” he said.
Dodik again called on Bosniaks for dialogue on Bosnia’s future but accused them of rejecting the 1995 Dayton Peace Agreement in favor of a more centralized Bosnia and Herzegovina.
“Republika Srpska supports Bosnia, but only within the framework of the Dayton Agreement. They don’t want that; they want a Bosnia that dominates Republika Srpska,” Dodik told reporters in Belgrade after meeting Serbian President Aleksandar Vučić.
He claimed that Bosniak politicians in Sarajevo were pushing for conflict.
“They are inspired by years of efforts to, as they say, ‘finish the job’—to eliminate every Serb who doesn’t fit their political agenda and to dismantle Republika Srpska,” he said, adding that Bosniaks never accepted the Dayton Agreement, unlike Republika Srpska.
Dodik further accused Bosniak leaders of attempting to deal a “decisive blow” to Republika Srpska and blocking efforts to demarcate the inter-entity boundary despite Republika Srpska’s insistence.
