The President of Republika Srpska, Milorad Dodik, stated that the best course of action for the European Union would be to establish a strategic partnership with Russia.
“From our experience, the EU doesn’t seek partners but subservient nations or elites that would implement their plans. For example, in Ukraine, we have the absurd situation where liberal states defend the communist legacy in Ukraine. Historically speaking, Crimea has always been a part of Russia. Lenin and Khrushchev gave large parts of Ukraine, which at the time was part of the Soviet Union, and it didn’t seem important then. Now, Brussels and other elites claim they are defending the communist moves of Lenin and Khrushchev. Is that the essence?” Dodik stated in an interview with the Swiss weekly Weltwoche.
The President of Srpska pointed out that this is exactly what was done in Bosnia and Herzegovina, creating a highly unsuccessful state.
“If they care so much about the territorial integrity of Ukraine or Bosnia, why don’t they revive the Soviet Union with its territorial integrity?” Dodik questioned.
When asked if the conflict in Ukraine was inevitable, Dodik responded, “No, it wasn’t. It was the desire of the Western political elite who believed they were superior and could penetrate the heart of Russia, doing what has always been the historical aim of the West—to take control of Russia’s natural resources.”
“The conflict could have been avoided if the Minsk Agreements and Russia’s strategic interests as a global power had been respected. Russian President Vladimir Putin is more of a nightmare for the West than the West is for Putin. Ukraine, like Bosnia and Herzegovina, is an artificial communist creation, and I believe that since the world has returned to the idea of nation-states, or is massively moving in that direction, the Ukraine-Russia conflict will not end until Russia secures its strategic positions. Unfortunately, I think it’s now impossible to end this conflict through negotiations. It seems naive when people like Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky say the conflict will only end when Russia withdraws from Ukraine,” Dodik noted.
Dodik emphasized that “the world is witnessing that the conflict is not stopping, but is expanding and intensifying, and the supply of weapons is not decreasing.”
“Today, we hear that long-range missiles are allowed to be used deep into Russian territory. I don’t think anything good can come from that. No one mentions how it all began or why the conflict started. I remember German Chancellor Olaf Scholz being quite optimistic, saying Germany would help Ukraine with blankets, not lethal weapons. Now we see that narrative has radically changed, and the conflict looks more like a war between Russia and the West, with Ukraine as collateral damage,” Dodik said.
Dodik reiterated that he belongs to the group of people who condemn war.
“I don’t think we should take sides or be part of it, especially not Europe, which followed the insistence of certain politicians. America is far away. They pressure Europe to exhaust all its resources on the conflict. America’s likely goal in this case is to create a permanent conflict between Europe and Russia so they can never be partners as they once were. And what does Europe gain? I believe they’ve lost competitiveness,” Dodik warned.
The President of Srpska added that “now that there’s no more energy imports from Russia, they have to pay more for the same product coming from the U.S., and we see that Europe is no longer in the good shape it once was.”
“In the past, Europe was more than happy to jump in and impose sanctions on Russia. The U.S. imposed sanctions on Russia, but at the same time, there’s plenty of trade between the U.S. and Russia. In the long run, this weakens the European economy,” Dodik said.
When asked what Russian President Vladimir Putin’s goal is, considering his frequent meetings with him, Dodik responded that Putin is undoubtedly a great statesman and leader, which is why he has many enemies in other countries but also many friends.
“Despite the hysteria in the West when his name is mentioned, I can still say that Vladimir Putin is a man of peace. However, he could not allow Russia to be endangered by the West’s expansion into other countries, especially Ukraine, which, if allowed, could mean that Moscow could be attacked within minutes. He is not the type of man who would let that happen,” Dodik emphasized.
He added that “on the other hand, 15 million Russians live in Ukraine, and the fact is that Putin didn’t go to the U.S. border to fight a war; the war is being fought on the Russian border, and he was forced to defend his people in Ukraine and strengthen his geopolitical position in the immediate area.”
The President of Srpska questioned why Germany destroyed Yugoslavia if it cares about preserving the integrity of states.
“How is it possible that Germany could unite its two parts, while Putin is not given the right to defend his 15 million Russians in Ukraine? Similarly, how can the Germans have the right to unite the eastern and western parts of their state, while Serbs are not given the right to unite their people on both sides of the Drina River? Why should we accept such lies? Why should we accept that one set of criteria applies to some and another to us?” Dodik asked.
When asked if he believes President Putin will use nuclear weapons, Dodik responded, “I’m completely certain that Putin is a man of reason, and he knows very well that if you touch one NATO state, a collective response will follow.”
“Putin clearly sees that there’s intentional pressure pushing him toward escalation. How else would you describe a situation where Russia is clearly making progress on the battlefield, and it’s evident they will win this war,” Dodik concluded.
Regarding NATO, Dodik recalled the cynical name of their operation, “Merciful Angel,” during which Serbs in the Balkans were bombed with depleted uranium, the consequences of which are still felt today due to the high number of cancer cases.
“And then they tell us we should be members of the Alliance. Excuse me? You ask us to join NATO after you bombed our children with depleted uranium. What’s the intention behind that? Uranium is an integral part of any nuclear arsenal, and they’ve already used it in Republika Srpska and Serbia. What are we supposed to do, be grateful that they targeted us with depleted uranium?” Dodik asked.
The President of Srpska stated that he is sure Putin will not use nuclear weapons because his issue is not with the people of these countries but with their political elites.
“That’s one thing. Secondly, Vladimir Putin is not a desperate man. Others are desperate. As far as I know, Scholz’s support in Germany is lower than ever. Initially, they were very loud and bombastic, but now they are nowhere to be seen. But, as far as I know, Germany doesn’t have nuclear weapons, at least publicly. So, I’m sure Putin won’t use nuclear weapons against the population of other countries,” Dodik emphasized.
Commenting on the statement by European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen that Putin must be stopped, or he will attack the Baltic states in a bid to recreate the USSR, Dodik said this is propaganda based on false assumptions.
“They don’t know what else to do or say to distract their people, so they resort to spin. That’s not true. I’m not Putin’s spokesperson, there are things I don’t think are right, but I’m not under pressure from Russia to defend anything or say something, unlike the West, which is constantly exerting great pressure,” Dodik stressed.
In response to the journalist’s claim that Dodik shares something in common with the U.S.—support for Israel—the President of Srpska acknowledged that the Jewish people have suffered greatly throughout history, and such events and facts must never be repeated.
“The suffering endured by the Jewish people has instilled a fear that they could go through the same ordeal again, and they are doing everything possible to avoid it. When terrorists from Hezbollah came to Israel and killed young people, when I saw how they didn’t hesitate to kill children just because they were Jewish, I got the impression that this evil is happening again to the Jews. On the other hand, the Jewish people have the right to their own state, and I support that right. And third, here in Banja Luka, about 40 kilometers away, there was a huge concentration camp in Jasenovac, established by Croatian Ustaše, where more than 500,000 Serbs and over 40,000 Jews were killed. This created a bond between Serbs and Jews because we suffered similarly,” Dodik noted.
He added that it pains him to see the suffering of Palestinians and the deaths of children.
“That likely hurts many Jews in Israel as well. But we should also remember what NATO called the Serbian children who were killed by their bombs—collateral damage,” Dodik concluded.
The interview with President Dodik was conducted by Roger Köppel, publisher and editor-in-chief of the Swiss weekly Weltwoche.
Source: RTRS
