Blagojevich and Dodik for Newsmax Balkans: Trump Needs to Be Informed About Developments in Bosnia and Herzegovina
In an exclusive interview with Newsmax Balkans, former governor of the U.S. state of Illinois Rod Blagojevich and President of Republika Srpska Milorad Dodik discussed, among other topics, the current political situation in Bosnia and Herzegovina.
Rod Blagojevich is visiting Republika Srpska for the first time, which he says is an opportunity to visit the land of his ancestors.
“I feel like I’ve come home. There are many of us in America with Serbian roots, and I’m truly proud that President Dodik is standing up for the Serbian people here. He admires President Trump, who is a strong leader, and I admire President Dodik for the same reason. I am here in the homeland of my ancestors, and I’ve received a warm welcome – the famous Serbian hospitality,” said Blagojevich.
The purpose of his visit, he said, is to inform the global public about what is happening in Bosnia and Herzegovina.
“I feel there’s a real connection, not just between President Dodik and me, but also with President Trump. I’m a victim of a politicized judiciary – I served eight years in prison. What they did to me, they tried to do to President Trump. Here in Republika Srpska, you have a foreigner, a German, with colonial powers. When I return to America, I will tell people what is happening here. Democracy is not just under threat in America, but in Europe as well,” Blagojevich stated.
When the first-instance verdict was issued against Dodik for failing to implement the decisions of High Representative Christian Schmidt, his defense argued it was crucial for the global public to be informed of the case.
Dodik stated that what Blagojevich experienced was a rehearsal by the American judicial system for what they intended to do to Trump.
“This is purely politically motivated, instrumentalized justice. It’s the last resort of those who don't know how to hold on to power. Here in BiH, the malign influence has gone even further. A foreigner comes, makes a decision, and it overrides the Constitution. They judge based on decisions made by a foreigner not appointed by the UN Security Council. If you oppose that, even though the people elected you, you’re the one to blame,” Dodik pointed out.
According to him, his only "guilt" lies in having supported Donald Trump during his first presidential campaign.
“Barack Obama's administration imposed sanctions on me two days before Trump’s inauguration. On the morning of Trump’s victory, several thousand people gathered. I greeted them wearing a MAGA (Make America Great Again) cap, and that evening, we lit up an entire building with the U.S. flag and Trump’s image. Serbs have always loved America, even when it was against us, but now they won’t allow us to express that love. We’re not asking America to cheer for us, only to recognize our rights – not to be an experiment for bureaucrats who come here and change the rules to our detriment. That’s not the America we love. We love the America Trump represents, because he stands for real values,” said Dodik.
Foto: Tanjug/Srna/Borislav Zdrinja
A Newsmax Balkans reporter asked Blagojevich how aware Americans are that the region was once bombed, and that the entire political leadership of one of the constituent peoples in BiH is under sanctions.
“The American people don’t know what’s happening here, because Republika Srpska is a small place in a remote corner of the world as far as they’re concerned. We’ll do everything to inform the American public – including President Trump and senior officials – about what’s going on. I believe it’s time for a new strategic partnership between Republika Srpska, Serbia, and the United States. I will take this opportunity to promote American national interests, because Trump supports Judeo-Christian values in the Western Balkans. Just as Israel defends these values in the Middle East, there’s unfortunately anti-Christian pressure here in BiH that is persecuting Christians in a ‘soft’ way. That hasn’t been emphasized enough in the U.S.,” said the former Illinois governor.
Dodik also commented on public fears in Republika Srpska regarding the potential deportation of migrants from the U.S.
“I was speaking about migrants from the EU and the Islamic world – people driven by poverty, but also some criminals. ISIS has been defeated, but not destroyed, and many such individuals have come to Europe, posing a security risk. As for the U.S., Trump never called for deporting Muslim migrants. The ones facing deportation are mostly from Latin America. They aren’t Islamists, but some may be criminals. To support Trump’s policy, we can discuss temporary stays. If we reach an agreement with Trump, that agreement will be respected. With Europe, there is no such respect,” said the Republika Srpska leader firmly.
Government of Serbia has sent a letter to the Office of Foreign Assets Control (OFAC) of the U.S. Department of the Treasury, supporting the request of the Petroleum Industry of Serbia (NIS) for an extension of its current operating license for an additional 180 days beyond June 27.
The new direct passenger flight between Belgrade and Miami will improve services and open doors for tourism and new direct investments in Serbia, said TJ Villamil, Head of Business Development at eMerge Americas, in an interview with Newsmax Balkans.
In a conversation for the program Stav regiona, he also shared impressions from his recent visit to Russia.
“Only great and sovereign states, like America and Russia, can be truly great. It’s important to us that global powers cooperate. I see that President Trump and Vladimir Putin communicate often, and that gives hope that urgent global hotspots will be resolved through dialogue. If you don’t negotiate, arrogance accumulates – and it can lead to disaster. I believe Trump is a man of peace. If he chose to intervene in Iran, it was to prevent a catastrophe. Trump said Putin would be the ideal negotiator for ending the Iran-Israel conflict. Europeans are less relevant. I’m encouraged by that kind of relationship at the highest level. If Trump and Putin eventually meet – it would signal they’ve reached agreements and that the world is moving toward complete stabilization,” Dodik concluded.
When asked whether he expects this meeting to happen soon, Blagojevich said he doesn’t believe it will result in an end to all global conflicts.
“I don’t believe all wars will cease – human nature doesn’t allow that. However, it is our responsibility to preserve peace as much as we can. In both World Wars, we were allies. Both Dodik and Trump are strong men with clear values, and both have experienced politicized justice. That kind of bond can be promising and long-term. The Serbian people believe in family, faith, and hard work – and the Trump administration values family and hard work,” Blagojevich emphasized.
Emisija kolažnog tipa koju čine prilozi naših dopisnika sa zanimljivim pričama iz čitave Srbije, ali i regiona Balkana. Teme nisu vezane za dnevne događaje već obrađuju zanimljive priče iz ugla običnog, malog čoveka, koje su karakteristične za različite krajeve.
specijal
06:30
NEWSMAX USA-TOP STORY (R)
Prikazuje karusel dnevnih objava i najnovijih vesti, sagledanih iz svih uglova. Spoj popularnih priča i najvažnijih vesti koje ostaju vidiljive danima, često inspirisana glavnim događajem dana ili nedelje.
specijal
07:00
TRAŽIM REČ (R)
Savet bezbednosti UN ocenio da eskalacija Izraela I Gaze i dalje traje. Koliko smo blizu rešenja o dve države? Nakon presude CIK BIH koji će biti naredni potezi Milorada Dodika i kakva je budućnost Republike Srpske? Otkriveno 40 tona pilećeg mesa zaraženog salmonelom kod Kruševca, da li će nakon ovog slučaja inspekcije biti učestalije?
specijal
08:00
OTVORI OČI
Savet bezbednosti UN ocenio da eskalacija Izraela I Gaze i dalje traje. Koliko smo blizu rešenja o dve države? Nakon presude CIK BIH koji će biti naredni potezi Milorada Dodika i kakva je budućnost Republike Srpske? Otkriveno 40 tona pilećeg mesa zaraženog salmonelom kod Kruševca, da li će nakon ovog slučaja inspekcije biti učestalije?
jutarnji program
10:00
STAV DANA (R)
Newsmax ne prenosi samo vesti – analiziramo, istražujemo i objašnjavamo kako aktuelna dešavanja utiču na naš život. Pridružite nam se!
special
10:30
PROZORI BALKANA (R)
Emisija kolažnog tipa koju čine prilozi naših dopisnika sa zanimljivim pričama iz čitave Srbije, ali i regiona Balkana. Teme nisu vezane za dnevne događaje već obrađuju zanimljive priče iz ugla običnog, malog čoveka, koje su karakteristične za različite krajeve.
Na magistralnom putu Čačak-Požega u Ovčarsko-kablarskoj klisuri dogodila se teška saobraćajna nesreća, u kojoj je život izgubio motociklista L. P. (26) iz Čačka.
Ministru za javna ulaganja i predsedniku Izvršnog odbora Srpske napredne stranke (SNS) Darku Glišiću iznenada je pozlilo u utorak ujutru dok je gostovao u jutarnjem programu TV Pink, a ministar zdravlja Zlatibor Lončar rekao je da je operisan i da se nalazi na respiratoru.
Direktor Telekom Srbija Vladimir Lučić izjavio je da ta kompanija planira ulazak u novu fazu razvoja u Severnoj Makedoniji sa dodatnim investicijama od 50 miliona evra, uz ambiciju da postane vodeći operator u toj zemlji, kao što je to postignuto u Crnoj Gori.
At a session of the Central Election Commission of Bosnia and Herzegovina (CEC BiH), Milorad Dodik's mandate as President of Republika Srpska was revoked.
President Aleksandar Vucic hosted Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni and emphasized that her visit represents a message of trust and a shared vision for the future of a united Europe, as well as a strong show of support for Serbia.
Telekom Srbija CEO Vladimir Lucic stated that the company plans to enter a new development phase in North Macedonia with additional investments of €50 million, aiming to become the leading operator in that country, as it already has in Montenegro.
The Minister for Public Investments and President of the Executive Board of the Serbian Progressive Party, Darko Glisic, suddenly became ill while appearing on the morning program of TV Pink. Minister of Health Zlatibor Loncar stated that Glisic underwent surgery and is currently on a ventilator.
The Speaker of the National Assembly of the Republic of Serbia, Ana Brnabic, met with the new Head of the European Union Delegation to Serbia, Ambassador Andreas von Beckerath.
In July 2025, Air Serbia carried over 500,000 passengers in a single month for the first time this year. In scheduled traffic, from the airports in Belgrade, Niš, and Kraljevo, Serbian national airline carried 481,660 passengers, representing an increase compared to the same month last year.
A formal commemoration marking the 30th anniversary of the criminal operation “Storm” was held in Sremski Karlovci, under the slogan “Storm Was a Pogrom – We Remember Forever.”
French President Emmanuel Macron announced that he had spoken with President Aleksandar Vucic about Serbia’s European future, bilateral relations, and strengthening cooperation, as well as the situation in the region.
Jeff Bezos’s company Blue Origin launched a spacecraft into space from its base in Van Horn, Texas, carrying Turkish businessman Gokhan Erdem, whose wife is Serbian. As a result, he brought both Turkish and Serbian flags into space.
Komentari (0)