WASHINGTON – U.S. Senator Jim Risch (R-Idaho), chairman of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee, yesterday along with Senators Chuck Grassley (R-Iowa), and Jeanne Shaheen (D-N.H.) led a group of nine bipartisan House and Senate colleagues in a letter to Secretary of State Marco Rubio outlining their deep concern over Republika Srpska leader Milorad Dodik’s recent actions in the Balkans and urging Secretary Rubio to work to prevent further deterioration within Bosnia and Herzegovina.
“We are deeply concerned about the recent actions of Milorad Dodik, the leader of the Republika Srpska entity within Bosnia and Herzegovina. For years, he has engaged in secessionist activity, challenging Bosnia and Herzegovina’s state institutions, undermining the constitution and threatening the territorial integrity of the country,” the members wrote.
After being sentenced to one year in prison and a six-year ban from politics, Dodik has vowed to ignore the verdict and continue his separatist agenda. This includes taking steps toward the potential secession of Republika Srpska from Bosnia and Herzegovina.
“In addition to threats of force, threats of arrests, sanctions and penal procedures have been directed at employees of Bosnia and Herzegovina state institutions living in Republika Srpska for continuing to carry out federal responsibilities. This is a direct attack on the constitutional order of Bosnia and Herzegovina and the Dayton Peace Accords,” the members continued.
Additional cosigners include Senators Dick Durbin (D-Ill.), Thom Tillis (R-N.C.), Chris Van Hollen (D-Md.) and Peter Welch (D-Vt.). In the House, additional cosigners include Representatives Ann Wagner (R-Mo.) and Mike Quigley (D-Ill.).
The members note the security, stability and economic prosperity of Bosnia and Herzegovina are vital to U.S. interests in the Western Balkans. They also emphasized that strong American leadership is needed to counter Dodik's dangerous agenda. Finally, the members urged the Trump administration to use all tools at its disposal to prevent a deterioration of the situation in Bosnia and Herzegovina, including by:
Full text of the letter can be found here and below:
Dear Secretary Rubio,
We are deeply concerned about the recent actions of Milorad Dodik, the leader of the Republika Srpska entity within Bosnia and Herzegovina. For years, he has engaged in secessionist activity, challenging Bosnia and Herzegovina’s state institutions, undermining the Dayton Accords, and threatening the territorial integrity and ethno-social cohesion of the country. In response, the United States, including under the first Trump administration, has imposed sanctions on Mr. Dodik and individuals and entities that have assisted in his secessionist acts.
On February 26, 2025, the Constitutional Court of Bosnia and Herzegovina sentenced Mr. Dodik to one year in prison and banned him from politics for six years as a consequence of his decision to implement unconstitutional laws that rejected the authority of the Constitutional Court and of the Office of the High Representative. Mr. Dodik has vowed to ignore the verdict and continue his separatist agenda, leading him to take steps toward the potential secession of Republika Srpska from Bosnia and Herzegovina.
Most recently, Mr. Dodik and his allies have escalated the secessionist crisis of their own making. The Republika Srpska National Assembly passed and Dodik implemented two new unconstitutional laws aimed at prohibiting the functioning of Bosnia and Herzegovina’s state-level security and judicial institutions within Republika Srpska. Provincial institutions of Republika Srpska have been ordered to use force to stop and prevent the legal and lawful actions and operation of Bosnia and Herzegovina state institutions within the boundaries of Republika Srpska. In addition to threats of force, threats of arrests, sanctions, and penal procedures have been directed at employees of Bosnia and Herzegovina state institutions living and working in Republika Srpska for continuing to carry out federal responsibilities. This is a direct attack on the constitutional order of Bosnia and Herzegovina and the Dayton Peace Accords.
We urge the administration to use all tools at its disposal, including diplomacy and sanctions, to prevent a deterioration of the situation in Bosnia and Herzegovina. Specifically, we urge your Administration to:
The security, stability and economic prosperity of Bosnia and Herzegovina remains vital to U.S. interests in the Western Balkans. Strong leadership from the United States, working in concert with our allies and partners, is essential to counter Mr. Dodik's destabilizing agenda.
We stand ready to support the Administration's efforts in this regard and look forward to continued cooperation to advance peace, stability, and democratic development in Bosnia and Herzegovina.
Sincerely,
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