“The United States remains committed to BiH’s stability, sovereignty, and territorial integrity, and calls on all sides to avoid any action to further escalate the situation,” a U.S. State Department spokesperson told The Pavlovic Today in an exclusive statement on Thursday, amid growing political tensions surrounding President Milorad Dodik in Bosnia and Herzegovina.

The State Department statement comes in response to a Wednesday decision by Bosnia and Herzegovina’s Central Election Commission (CEC) to revoke Milorad Dodik’s mandate as the duly elected president of Republika Srpska. The move follows an appeals court ruling that upheld a conviction sentencing Dodik to one year in prison and imposing a six-year ban on holding political office, after he refused to implement decisions issued by Bosnia’s Constitutional Court and the Office of the High Representative, Christian Schmidt.

In response to the decision, President Dodik took to X to express his position, describing the situation as “More bullshit from Sarajevo. No more.” In a separate post, Dodik added, “Surrender and giving up do not exist. Surrender is not an option.”

The leader of Bosnian Serbs has called for referendum the results he said will accept as “will of the people.” He said that the referendum will ask “whether we should agree to the demolition of the Constitution of the Republic of Srpska”.

Among EU leaders, Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orbán publicly rejected the court’s ruling.

“President Dodik has been condemned for refusing to dance to the tune that Brussels is whistling. Hungary does not accept this decision,” Orban said on August 5, 2025.

“Attempts by EU-appointed overseers to remove him for opposing their globalist agenda are unacceptable. He is the rightful, elected leader of the Republika Srpska – we firmly oppose Brusselian meddling in sovereign matters. Nothing can stand above the will of the people,” Orban stated on X, expressing full support for the Bosnian Serb leader.

Throughout his mandate Dodik has maintained close ties with Russian President Vladimir Putin, and is among a group of European leaders who have openly aligned themselves with President Donald Trump. 

The U.S. call for restraint comes as international attention turns to renewed tensions in the Western Balkans. In diplomatic circles, there is growing concern that Moscow could seek to engage, raising the possibility of broader regional instability across the European continent as the situation in Republika Srpska develops.

The State Department told The Pavlovic Today it remains committed to Bosnia and Herzegovina’s sovereignty and urges all sides to avoid escalation.

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Ksenija Pavlovic is the Founder and Editor-in-Chief of the Pavlovic Today, The Chief White House Correspondent. Pavlovic was a Teaching Fellow and Doctoral Fellow in the Political Science department at...

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