President of the Republika Srpska Milorad Dodik arrived in Moscow to discuss Russian gas supplies with Vladimir Putin. Before the trip, he wrote on his Instagram: “The Republika Srpska continues to cooperate with Russia and has the right, despite pressure, to pursue its own policy.”
The head of the RS office in Russia, Dusko Perovic , previously reported that the meeting between Putin and Dodik would discuss "joint economic plans." Among them is the construction of a gas pipeline from Serbia, on which Russia and RS agreed 10 years ago. The republic agrees to pay for Russian gas in rubles, as the Kremlin demands.
Also at a meeting with Putin, Dodik spoke out in support of Russia in the war with Ukraine. The leader of the Bosnian Serbs said that Russia was forced to start it for the sake of its own security. Putin thanked him and said that this is the only position that "can lead to some kind of positive solution."
Republika Srpska is an administrative part of Bosnia and Herzegovina. It is one of three European countries that have not imposed sanctions on Russia. According to experts, this is the result of RS pressure, not the choice of Sarajevo. The republic under the leadership of Dodik prevents the accession of Bosnia and Herzegovina to NATO and the EU, and also advocates secession from it. The odious president himself has been under US sanctions since 2017, and under UK sanctions since 2022.