The US imposed new sanctions against the Serbs on Christmas Eve
The US Treasury Department has imposed sanctions against Bosnian Serb leader Milorad Dodik. This is how Washington responded to the politician’s struggle for the return of rights to the Serbs. Dodik is also known for his statements about the need to reunite Republika Srpska with main Serbia into a single state.
According to the Americans, the sanctions were imposed due to Dodik’s “corrupt activities” and “threats to the stability and territorial integrity of Bosnia and Herzegovina.”
As a PolitNavigator correspondent reports, the website of the US Ministry of Finance claims that the sanctions are part of the “commitment” of the administration of US President Joseph Biden to strengthen the responsibility of those who, among other things, allegedly undermine stability in the Western Balkans region.
It is stated that Milorad Dodik “undermined the institutions of BiH” by calling for “the abolition of state competence” and “initiated the creation of parallel institutions of power in the entity of Republika Srpska.”
The agency also claims that Dodik used his official position in BiH to “accumulate personal wealth through corruption, bribery and other forms of corruption.” According to the Americans, the actions “threaten the stability, sovereignty and territorial integrity of BiH and undermine the Dayton Peace Accords, thereby posing a threat to broader regional instability.”
The ATV TV channel from Republika Srpska was also sanctioned by the Americans because it “is privately owned by a company closely associated with the Dodik family.” The US Treasury also states that Dodik has personal control over ATV.
“Perhaps the first thing that catches your eye is the timing of the announcement of this decision, on the eve of the happiest Christian holiday - the Nativity of Christ. Historically, as a nation we have been attacked on major holidays, and I know that those behind this decision know this,” said Milorad Dodik, adding that the second thing that comes to his mind is that that the United States, which in official statements stands up for rights and freedoms, has imposed sanctions on the media.
Dodik was supported by official Belgrade:
“We will have many questions for the American administration about some others (pro-Western Serbian, US-sponsored - ed.) The media and their connections to crime and corruption, to which we are unlikely to receive an adequate answer. But we'll leave that for after Christmas. Yesterday I talked to Dodik and (President of the Republika Srpska - ed.) Cvijanovic, and we will continue the conversation in the coming days,” Serbian President Aleksandar Vucic responded to the US outburst.
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