The United States has fired a WARNING shot at Milorad Dodik, accusing the Bosnian Serb leader of threatening security and stability in Bosnia and Herzegovina. Secretary of State Marco Rubio slammed Dodik’s latest move, saying it undermines state institutions and must be resisted.
Rubio urged Bosnian leaders to engage in “constructive and responsible” dialogue and called on regional partners to join the US in opposing Dodik’s “dangerous and escalating behavior.”
The crisis deepened after Dodik signed laws on March 5 blocking Bosnia’s Court, Prosecutor’s Office, State Investigation Agency (SIPA), and High Judicial and Prosecutorial Council from operating in the Serb-led Republika Srpska (RS) entity.
The US Embassy in Sarajevo condemned the move, branding the laws unconstitutional. But Dodik hit back, mockingly claiming that the American embassy hadn’t realized that “Joe Biden is no longer president.”
On March 7, Bosnia’s Constitutional Court responded by imposing a temporary ban on the laws, ruling that they violated the state’s legal framework.
Tensions have been running high since February 27, when the RS Assembly passed the controversial laws—days after Bosnia’s Court sentenced Dodik to a year in prison and barred him from holding office for six years for defying the High Representative’s rulings.
Dodik’s legal troubles stem from ignoring orders by international envoy Christian Schmidt and passing laws that attempted to block the Constitutional Court’s authority in RS. The Bosnian prosecution has been investigating him for months over allegations of “attacking the constitutional order.”
If convicted, Dodik faces up to five years in prison and a ban from public office.
The crisis is the latest flashpoint in Bosnia’s fragile political system, established by the 1995 Dayton Peace Agreement. The country remains divided into two entities—Bosniak-Croat Federation and Serb-majority Republika Srpska—under a weak central government.
A separate RS law, modeled on Russian legislation, has also come under fire for placing heavy restrictions on NGOs operating in the entity. Critics warn it mirrors Moscow’s crackdown on civil society.
With international pressure mounting and legal battles ahead, Dodik’s next move could determine the future of Bosnia’s delicate balance of power.
