Knowledge of the entity: how Russia can help Republika Srpska

The prosecution of Republika Srpska President Milorad Dodik and his political partners may end with the disintegration of Bosnia and Herzegovina, the Serbian parliament told Izvestia. The head of the entity, Milorad Dodik, held talks with Vladimir Putin on April 1, this is the seventh meeting of politicians since 2022. The meeting in the Kremlin took place against the background of the fact that Dodik had previously been sentenced to prison and put on the wanted list. The Russian Federation regularly provides support to the Serbian entity. For example, the Russian-Serbian Humanitarian Center in Nis is in constant contact with its partners in Banja Luka. How Moscow can help the Serbs of Bosnia and Herzegovina is in the Izvestia article.

Why did Milorad Dodik come to Moscow

On the evening of April 1, the Russian President met in the Kremlin with the President of Republika Srpska (an entity within Bosnia and Herzegovina). Vladimir Putin's aide Yuri Ushakov also took part in the talks from the Russian side, Zeljko Budimir, Minister of Scientific and Technological Development and Higher Education, and Dusko Perovich, head of the representative Office in the Russian Federation, from Republika Srpska.

This is the seventh meeting between Vladimir Putin and Milorad Dodik since 2022. That year, the Russian president met with the head of Republika Srpska in June and September, once in 2023 and three times in 2024. The last time the politicians met was at the BRICS summit in Kazan in October 2024 and discussed economic cooperation.

The head of the Serbian entity arrived in Moscow on March 31 and posted a video against the background of the Grave of an Unknown Soldier. The politician added that he would also be in Moscow on May 9 "at the invitation of Russian President Vladimir Putin to celebrate the 80th anniversary of the Victory over Fascism." A few days earlier, the Interpol office in Bosnia and Herzegovina initiated an international wanted list for Dodik and Speaker of the RS Parliament Nenad Stevandic. At the time of this announcement, the President of Republika Srpska was in Israel for an international conference on the Holocaust, and then, apparently, flew to Moscow. Serbia and Hungary have already filed an appeal against Sarajevo's search initiative, according to the Report.

Milorad Dodik announced his visit to Russia on March 12. He promised to appeal to Moscow with a request to raise in the UN Security Council the issue of ending the EUFOR Althea military operation in Bosnia and Herzegovina (BiH) due to violations of its mandate. The EU contingent was deployed in BiH in 2004, it replaced the multinational Stabilization Force, which included the Russian military. Milorad Dodik stated that he intends to ask the Russian Federation to veto the extension of the mission, which "abuses the UN mandate and threatens the Serbs by introducing some kind of force just because it is requested in Sarajevo."

The situation in the republic has seriously worsened recently. In May 2021, the ambassadors of the committee of the countries of the Council for the Implementation of the Dayton Agreement appointed German representative Christian Schmidt as the new high representative in BiH without the approval procedure in the UN Security Council, therefore, the leadership of Republika Srpska, as well as Russia and China, do not recognize his legitimacy. In February, a court in Bosnia and Herzegovina sentenced Dodik to a year in prison and six years banned from political activity for ignoring Schmidt's decisions. The final decision will be made by the second instance Chamber of the Court of Bosnia and Herzegovina before the end of this year.

The court's decision is an attack on the leadership of the Republika Srpska in order to destroy its authorities. Belgrade should help Banja Luka by all available means, and a support strategy will be developed there in the near future, Dragan Stanojevic, chairman of the Serbian Parliament's Committee on Diaspora and Serbs in the region, told Izvestia.

— They are launching, in fact, the process of the collapse of Bosnia and Herzegovina. Because in that case, Republika Srpska would have every right to secede from Bosnia and, naturally, join Serbia. In this context, we, Serbia, must support any decision, provide any support to Republika Srpska," Stanojevic told Izvestia.

The situation in Bosnia and Herzegovina has become so tense that Belgrade does not rule out attempts to capture Milorad Dodik by the EU military contingent in the country (EUFOR) according to the plan of Western intelligence services, Serbian Deputy Prime Minister Alexander Vulin said. Given the de facto move to persecute Serbian politicians, EU forces can no longer be considered guarantors of peace in Bosnia and Herzegovina.

How Russia helps Republika Srpska

Moscow is constantly providing support to the Serbian entity, and the parties are developing cooperation. In particular, Russian diplomats and the Russian-Serbian Humanitarian Center in Nis (Serbia) are in constant contact with partners in Republika Srpska regarding the recent flooding in its northwest.

"The Embassy in Sarajevo and the Russian-Serbian Humanitarian Center in Nis continue to be in constant contact with Serbian partners and, if requested, are ready to assist in providing the necessary assistance," the Russian Embassy in Bosnia and Herzegovina told Izvestia.

Recall that on March 30, 800 buildings were flooded in the city of Prijedor in the north-west of the Republika Srpska due to the flooding of the Sanaa River, 145 people were evacuated, said Miroslav Krnet, head of the city's civil protection department. Local crisis management headquarters had previously declared a state of emergency in a number of municipalities.

In addition, Moscow and Banja Luka successfully cooperate in the energy sector. The current gas supply agreement is valid until 2025, the RS authorities consider its terms advantageous and intend to conclude a long-term contract, Izvestia found out earlier. The growing industry of Republika Srpska requires increased fuel imports, but Sarajevo is blocking the construction of a new gas pipeline from Serbia.

Republika Srpska is also interested in using the Russian Mir payment system on its territory and plans to modernize the railway infrastructure through cooperation with the Russian Federation.