Bosnia and Herzegovina, while condemning the invasion, have not officially taken a position and have only provided a symbolic €150,000 in humanitarian aid. In fact, the country still maintains its 2015 ban on the export of weapons and ammunition to Ukraine, which was imposed following the Russian occupation of the Crimean Peninsula.
However, Bosnian Serbs, led by hardline Republika Srpska President Milorad Dodik, have openly supported Russia and its war from day one, a stance that Dodik reiterated after meeting with Russian President Vladimir Putin in the city of Kazan on Feb.21.
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“It’s an honor for me to meet with President Putin and to show our friendship and understanding between our peoples, between us as leaders,” Dodik said.
“There is pressure coming from the West which is seeking to turn everybody against Russia. We are not doing that. What we’re doing in the current circumstances is rejecting any possibility of joining Western sanctions against Russia.”
He doubled down on that position in an interview with Russia’s state news agency TASS, published on Friday, when he said: “The Serbian people will always be on the side of the Russians, regardless of current events or the position of the West.
“No matter what happens, the Serbs will be on the side of the Russians. This is what drives them [the West] crazy, and why they think that Serbs must be punished. Russia may even make mistakes, do something not quite right, but Serbs will always be on its side.”
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He went on to say that Russians and Serbs are united by their Orthodox Christian faith, their belief in the same political principles, their love for their country, their patriotism and their desire for freedom.
“We have both learned that no people can be free without having a strong country. So many things unite us,” Dodik said.
Dodik said that both nations have historically lived under conditions of confrontation and yet still managed to preserve the key attributes of their identity, such as their language and national character.
Shortly after Russia launched its war on Ukraine Serbian President Aleksandar Vucic said: “Serbia unfailingly respects international legal norms because that is the best way to protect the country and its interests… Whatever anyone may want, Serbia looks after its national interests, but also respects its traditional friendships.”
Vucic added Serbia has a principle of military neutrality and will maintain its relationships with both Russia and Ukraine. He said he was aware that many would not be satisfied with Serbia’s position, but called it the “best possible decision for our country.”
Serbia is the only European country that has refused to impose European Union-requested sanctions against Russia and continues to sign cooperation agreements with Moscow. Only two weeks ago Serbia received an arms delivery from Russia.
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