Vucic: The verdict against Dodik is aimed at undermining the Republic of Srpska and the position of the Serbian people

President of Serbia, Aleksandar Vucic, stated that the verdict against the President of the Republic of Srpska, Milorad Dodik, is shameful, undemocratic, unlawful, and aimed at the destruction of the Republic of Srpska and the undermining of the position of the Serbian people.

In a video message from an airplane on his way to Banja Luka, after a meeting of the National Security Council, Vucic reminded that Serbia and the Republic of Srpska had only recently celebrated the Statehood Day of Serbia – Sretenje – together.

"Today, the situation is much different and incomparably more difficult, but our life, our work is such that Serbia and the obligation of Serbia and all of us is to always stand by the Republic of Srpska," said Vucic. 

As he emphasized, that is why, even tonight, when it is most difficult, he is going to Banja Luka to offer support to the Serbian people and try to influence the decisions being made to ultimately calm the situation and ease tensions.

"There is no doubt that, as a people, we will manage to preserve our living space, that the Republic of Srpska and its president will be defended, and that Serbia will be able to move forward," said the President of Serbia.

Pointing out that Serbia is facing sanctions tomorrow due to NIS, and that the country is currently experiencing attempts at the dirtiest color revolution, Vucic assured that "despite all the efforts to bring down Serbia and the Serbian people as a whole, we will prevail."

In an Instagram post, he also recalled the words of the prominent Stojan Novaković, who, after the annexation of Bosnia and Herzegovina in 1908, became the president of the Serbian government:

"When we, here in the Balkans, moved to do something for the natural rights of our nationality, for our survival, against obvious or bloody injustice, there was a great outcry against us, with warnings: that we are disturbing the order, that we should wait for the intervention of Europe, that we should be obedient to international contractual law, that our maturity should be assessed based on patience, moderation, and obedience to the will of Europe, and that the reward or recognition would be determined by this."