WASHINGTON — A bipartisan group of U.S. lawmakers is pressing the Trump administration to reimpose sanctions on former Republika Srpska President Milorad Dodik, warning that his continued secessionist rhetoric and foreign lobbying efforts are destabilizing the Western Balkans and undermining a decades-old U.S.-brokered peace agreement.
Senators Jeanne Shaheen (D-NH), Chuck Grassley (R-IA), Roger Wicker (R-MS), Dick Durbin (D-IL), Thom Tillis (R-NC) and Elizabeth Warren (D-MA), along with Representatives Mike Turner (R-OH) and Ann Wagner (R-MO), sent a letter Friday to Secretary of State Marco Rubio and Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent urging action against Dodik and his associates under authority granted by the recently enacted Fiscal Year 2026 National Defense Authorization Act.
The lawmakers argued that the Trump administration’s October 2025 decision to remove previously imposed financial and visa sanctions on Dodik has emboldened him rather than encouraged political reconciliation. “While we recognize that the Trump Administration’s decision to remove Mr. Dodik and his associates from financial and visa sanctions may have reflected an attempt to put Bosnia and Herzegovina on a path to greater political stability, Mr. Dodik’s subsequent actions have made it clear that he has no interest in pursuing that path,” the lawmakers wrote.
Among the specific actions cited in the letter: Dodik’s participation in a January 9, 2026, Republika Srpska Day ceremony ruled unconstitutional by Bosnia and Herzegovina’s Constitutional Court; repeated social media posts on X advocating for Republika Srpska’s right to self-determination and withdrawal from the Dayton Peace Agreement; and a February 2026 visit to the United States during which Dodik publicly referred to Sarajevo as the “enemy of Republika Srpska” and called for the expulsion of the international High Representative.
The letter also highlights a contract between the Government of Republika Srpska and Canadian lobbying firm Dickens & Madson (Canada), Inc., with the stated objective of securing U.S. support for Republika Srpska’s independence from Bosnia and Herzegovina — a move the lawmakers say directly violates the Dayton Peace Agreement.
“From organizing and participating in events deemed unconstitutional by Bosnia and Herzegovina’s Constitutional Court to amplifying divisive rhetoric and advocating for Republika Srpska’s withdrawal from the Dayton framework, his conduct directly threatens regional stability,” the group wrote. “His engagement with foreign entities to advance independence further underscores the urgency of a U.S. response.”
The lawmakers contend that Dodik’s actions qualify as sanctionable under Section 8335 of the NDAA, which targets individuals who “threaten the peace, security, stability, or territorial integrity of any area or state in the Western Balkans.” They called on both the State Department and Treasury Department to make the required legal determinations and act accordingly.
Though Dodik no longer holds an official government position in Republika Srpska, the letter notes he remains the recognized leader of his political party, the SNSD, and continues to wield significant influence over the regional government.
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