Dodik gambles on lithium deal with Trump to ease global tension

• Milorad Dodik, the President of Republika Srpska, has been convicted, pending appeal, to a year in prison for obstructing decisions by the High Representative of the International Community in Bosnia and Herzegovina (BiH).
• Dodik plans to offer Donald Trump access to lithium deposits located in Republika Srpska.
• The President of Republika Srpska openly admits that he expects "a reduction of the international pressure exerted on him" in return.

Dodik accused the European Union of a "lack of understanding of what is happening in Bosnia and Herzegovina," stating that this knowledge is held by right-wing parties in some European countries. The pro-Russian President of Republika Srpska also stated that he "believes he will soon have the opportunity to establish better relations with the USA, from which he expects a decrease in pressure on the predominantly Serb part of BiH", as reported by the Bosnian newsroom of N1 television.

The President of Republika Srpska confirmed that he is ready to offer Trump management of the lithium deposits located on the territory of Republika Srpska. The existence of these resource deposits in eastern BiH was confirmed at the end of 2024, but their quantity has not yet been thoroughly examined.

Dodik assured that even in the event of a final conviction, he will not give up his political career.

The court of first instance in Sarajevo sentenced Dodik at the end of February to a year in prison and six years of prohibition from holding public office for obstructing the implementation of decisions by the High Representative of the International Community in BiH, Christian Schmidt. This institution oversees the implementation of the Dayton Peace Agreement, which ended the war in the 1990s. On Saturday, the President's defense filed an appeal against the verdict.

The decision provoked one of the most serious political crises in the country since the end of the war.

Following the announcement of the verdict, the Republika Srpska parliament passed a series of laws prohibiting the operation of several BiH central institutions, including courts, the prosecutor's office, and federal police, on its territory. After Dodik signed the documents, the Constitutional Court of BiH suspended their enforcement on March 7 until a final decision is made.

The BiH prosecutor's office is conducting an investigation into the alleged attack on the country's constitutional order against Dodik, the Prime Minister, and the Speaker of the Republika Srpska parliament. In connection with this, the BiH court issued a nationwide arrest warrant for three politicians. All currently reside in Republika Srpska.

At the beginning of April, Germany and Austria banned major politicians of Republika Srpska, including Dodik, from entering their territories.