"Bosnia and Herzegovina makes no sense. After all the international operations, pressure, tricks, and deceit, it is an inferior country. It does not deserve the right to exist, and it is logical that the Serbian people (in BiH) demand their right to the status of an independent country."

This was stated by the dismissed president of the Republika Srpska (RS, the Serbian entity in Bosnia and Herzegovina) to the Russian service of the BBC, BGNES reported.

Dodik shared his intentions to convince Russian leader Vladimir Putin to support his plans for secession and declaration of independence for RS.

This means a course towards further escalation of the constitutional crisis, which threatens to break up the country and cause a new ethnic conflict.

Milorad Dodik has been opposing the central government in Bosnia and Herzegovina for many years.

But in August 2025, this opposition entered a critical phase: the Constitutional Court in Sarajevo banned Dodik from holding public office for six years, after which the Central Election Commission removed him from the post of president of the Republika Srpska and set a date for new elections.

He rejected this decision and continues to exercise his powers; it is expected that the majority of Bosnian Serbs will boycott the new elections.

Dodik met with BBC journalists at the president's office in Banja Luka.

"Bosnia and Herzegovina makes no sense. After all the international operations, pressure, tricks, and deceit, it is an inferior country. It does not deserve the right to exist, and it is logical that the Serbian people (in Bosnia) demand their right to independent statehood," the politician said.

He also said he wanted to secure the Russian leader's support for plans to secede from BiH: "We have discussed this before, but (Putin) has always supported the Dayton Agreement and the territorial integrity of Bosnia and Herzegovina. This was also discussed the last time we spoke. However, much has changed since then. I will attempt to persuade him to support our position (on the independence of the RS), editor's note). I am uncertain if I will succeed, but I will certainly discuss it."

The meeting with Putin is expected in October, and on October 25, a referendum organized by Dodik will be held, which calls into question the powers of the central authorities of BiH.

The residents of RS must answer whether they accept the decisions of the Constitutional Court and the High Representative—the highest civilian observer of the peace process, who is traditionally a representative of one of the European Union countries.

Dodik calls High Representative Christian Schmidt an "unelected foreigner" whose actions are illegitimate.

From the perspective of the BiH federal authorities in Sarajevo, Dodik's rhetoric is tantamount to separatism, and the referendum is unconstitutional.

Few people doubt that Bosnian Serbs will support their leader in the referendum—and that Sarajevo will reject the result.

What will happen next? Dodik is suggesting another vote. "At some point, we will probably ask the people if they want to live in Bosnia and Herzegovina, where their will is not respected."

He insists that he has the right to fight for independence because modern Bosnia was created as a result of a treaty imposed on the Serbs by the other part of the country, the Federation of Bosniaks and Croats: "Now one of the parties to the treaty, the Republika Srpska, wants to withdraw from it."

The BiH authorities and the international community emphasize that the Republika Srpska enjoys the highest degree of autonomy with its own flag, police, and government. In addition, as part of BiH, it has received hundreds of millions of euros in financial aid and investments from European Union countries, as well as a visa-free regime and candidate status for EU membership.

In addition to Putin, Dodik also has high hopes for US President Donald Trump, whom he calls a "colossal historical figure" and says he is very happy about his return to power.

After Trump was elected to a second term, Dodik even took a photo wearing a red Make America Great Again hat.

But this sympathy has so far gone unanswered. In March, US Secretary of State Marco Rubio accused Dodik of undermining the state institutions of Bosnia and Herzegovina and creating threats to its security, and called on America's partners to oppose his actions.

The Trump administration is maintaining the sanctions against Dodik imposed by his predecessors. | BGNES