By selecting a small number of world leaders to meet with in St. Petersburg, including the President of Republika Srpska Milorad Dodik, Russian President Vladimir Putin has sent a clear message about whom he respects globally and who can count on Russia’s political and economic support as a new world order takes shape, one that no longer tolerates Western hegemony.
This perspective comes from Dragana Trifković, director of the Center for Geostrategic Studies, who commented on the Dodik-Putin meeting on the sidelines of the International Economic Forum in St. Petersburg. During the meeting, the Russian president reiterated that only the provisions of the Dayton Peace Agreement can serve as the foundation for preserving and further strengthening Bosnia and Herzegovina.
“President Dodik is one of the few leaders from Europe who supports Russia now when it needs it the most. President Putin sees and appreciates this. He respects the Serbs for their independent policies, as demonstrated in such occasions,” Trifković emphasized.
She also pointed out that the further development of relations between Srpska and Russia is of utmost importance, especially in turbulent times when Western countries, led by the USA, the UK, and Germany, are attempting to destabilize the Balkans.
“Western countries continue their aggressive policies, which the Serbs know well from the 1990s. They have no respect and believe that Serbs have no right to protect their interests, defend themselves, and fight for their survival. The same strategy is now being applied against Russia,” Trifković added, noting that this meeting shows that Srpska is not without support from powerful countries like Russia.
Former Serbian diplomat and member of the Academy of Sciences and Arts of Republika Srpska, historian Slavenko Terzić, also saw the messages from St. Petersburg and the meeting between Dodik and Putin as positive.
He noted that this meeting holds significant political weight for Republika Srpska, especially since Russia is a guarantor of the Dayton Agreement and a strong advocate for its consistent implementation.
Terzić also pointed out that Russia has been present in these regions for centuries and that it would be beneficial if this powerful country were more economically and culturally present in Republika Srpska and the Balkans.
“We should not forget that imperial Russia did a lot to restore churches and monasteries across Serbian lands. There is a centuries-old tradition of mutual friendly relations. At this moment, which is very important for Republika Srpska, I believe that the open support coming from the Kremlin is politically very significant. Russia carefully monitors the situation in the Balkans and BiH. Therefore, I believe that such meetings contribute to the international affirmation of Republika Srpska as one of the entities within BiH,” Terzić noted.
He warned that the problem is that only Russia insists on the consistent implementation of Dayton, while others see it as outdated.
“This is a very bad and dangerous practice applied by Western diplomacy, not just in the case of Dayton. We saw this with the Minsk agreements. They sign something and think that time will do its work, but that practice only leads to international crises. Therefore, it is crucial for Republika Srpska to have a globally powerful and influential ally like Russia,” the academic added.
Reflecting on Putin’s statement that he understands and respects everything Republika Srpska is doing to maintain its constitutionally guaranteed position within BiH, Terzić said it is another important message, proving that Russian authorities are aware of all Western attempts to centralize BiH.
“The Kremlin and the Russian embassy in BiH have often warned that high representatives are nothing but colonial governors from the 19th century, doing everything to take away some of the powers of Republika Srpska. President Putin has thus provided open political support to the leadership of Srpska, confirming that what they are doing to defend against these violent attacks is correct,” Terzić said.
Regarding the proposal for Srpska and the Federation of BiH to separate peacefully due to the increasingly blatant violations of Dayton, Terzić said he understands the arguments of the authorities in Republika Srpska on this topic.
“We constantly witness attacks on Republika Srpska. One such attempt was recently made with the adoption of the resolution on Srebrenica. This was intended to stigmatize the entire Serbian people and weaken the international position of Republika Srpska. This is a very dangerous narrative. Therefore, I see President Dodik’s announcements as a final warning that Dayton must be respected and that Srpska will no longer allow it to be openly and recklessly violated to create a unitary BiH,” Terzić emphasized, noting that Dayton is the only guarantee for BiH’s survival.
He also believes that if Russian President Putin grants Dodik’s request to allow Republika Srpska to participate as an observer at the upcoming BRICS forum, it would bring significant political benefits, especially in terms of strengthening Republika Srpska’s position as an internationally recognized entity on the global map.
Agreement
On Friday in St. Petersburg, President of Srpska Milorad Dodik and the head of the Russian Republic of Tatarstan, Rustam Minnikhanov, signed a protocol on cooperation between Srpska and Tatarstan in trade and economy, science and technology, and cultural and humanitarian fields. According to Dodik, these are extremely important agreements, especially for local entrepreneurs, as Tatarstan is a leader in the IT sector and has a significant industry, as well as being rich in natural resources and energy, such as oil and gas.
Struggle for Sovereignty
In many countries, there is an open struggle to strengthen sovereignty on three levels – state, economic, and value-based. The countries that have been the greatest powers so far want to preserve their hegemony and positions by all means. Russian President Vladimir Putin highlighted this in his address to participants of the International Economic Forum in St. Petersburg, noting that BRICS countries are already developing their payment infrastructure independent of the West. He clarified that an independent payment system is being developed through BRICS, which will not depend on political pressure, abuses, and foreign sanctions.
Dodik for Russian Media
In an interview with Russian media, President of Srpska Milorad Dodik emphasized that President Putin understands and respects Srpska and that Russia, compared to Western countries, is the only witness to the Dayton Agreement that still honors it.
When asked about Russia’s stance on the idea of peaceful separation within BiH, Dodik replied that President Putin understands and respects Srpska.
“BiH exists based on the Dayton Agreement, of which Russia is a guarantor. In the current situation, the Bosniak political elite push their interests through the West and blame the Serbs for all difficulties. The West has done everything it could to destroy the Dayton Agreement. As a result, a parallel unconstitutional system has been created in BiH today, contrary to the constitution. This has led to the degradation of the public administration system. This has brought BiH to a dead end and raised questions about its sustainability. I believe that the leaders of all power centers will recognize reality and enable the peaceful division of BiH. Republika Srpska supports such a development because everything else is meaningless to us,” Dodik told Russian media.
Source: RTRS
