Stop demonizing Putin
Bosnian Serb leader to EU
The EU should stop vilifying Russia and its leader, Vladimir Putin, the president of Republika Srpska, Milorad Dodik, has said. The Serb leader of the autonomous region within Bosnia and Herzegovina also dismissed claims that Moscow harbors aggressive plans against EU countries.
In an interview with Switzerland’s Die Weltwoche magazine on Wednesday, Dodik said the “Russian point of view is that the war in Ukraine had been imposed [on] Russia by the Western, global elite.”
He went on to cite Boris Johnson’s alleged role in the derailment of peace negotiations between Moscow and Kiev in Istanbul, Türkiye in 2022. Russian officials have since claimed that the then-UK prime minister persuaded Ukraine not to sign a deal and “just continue fighting.”
The UK has a sizeable War Industry and I expect there was some encouragement from them toward Bozo the Clown.
In November 2023, David Arakhamia, an MP allied with Zelensky who led the Ukrainian delegation, confirmed that this was the case. Johnson has denied the allegation.
According to Dodik, “the Russians have learned that they cannot trust the West because the West lies all the time.” He referenced the admissions by former German Chancellor Angela Merkel and former French President Francois Hollande that the 2014-15 Minsk agreements had been a mere ploy to help Kiev build up its military capabilities.
Commenting on concerns among some EU member states that Russia may be planning an attack on the bloc’s eastern members, Dodik said, “I think that this is not a rational explanation or expectation, and that Putin has no aspirations whatsoever toward those states.”
Asked for his recommendations to Brussels on dealing with Russia, he argued that “they should, first of all, stop demonizing Putin and demonizing Russia, and trying to invent a narrative that would back that up.”
Which is exactly what they have been doing for at least 11 years now.
According to Dodik, the Russian president appears to want to engage with US President Donald Trump, while having no wish to “talk with Europe.”
He suggested that in his talks with Moscow, Trump “should take into consideration and respect the Russian requirements, the Russian requests,” and aim for a “comprehensive agreement,” as opposed to one narrowly focusing only on Ukraine.
They would accomplish so much more in terms of wealth and security if they offered Russia carrots rather than sticks. The EU is not too stupid to see that, but, unfortunately, they would rather make sticks than grow carrots. Sticks sell better even if they are ultimately destructive, and you can't eat them.
Speaking to Serbian media this week, Dodik defied top EU diplomat Kaja Kallas’ warning to EU candidate nations, demanding that they not “take part in the May 9 [WWII Victory Day] events in Moscow.”
“I want to be there and I will go,” the Bosnian Serb leader said, adding that he does not fear any potential repercussions from Brussels.
‘A lot of’ nations seeking to derail US-Russia talks – Putin envoy
Numerous foreign actors are attempting to sabotage the dialogue between Moscow and Washington, Russian President Vladimir Putin's investment envoy, Kirill Dmitriev, has claimed.
Speaking to reporters on Thursday, Dmitriev weighed in on his talks with US President Donald Trump’s special envoy, Steve Witkoff, in St. Petersburg last week, which focused on finding a settlement to the Ukraine conflict.
Dmitriev called the negotiations “extremely productive,” but claimed that third parties are trying to impede progress. “A lot of people, structures, and countries are trying to disrupt our dialogue with the United States,” he said.
“There is a very active propaganda campaign against Russia in the United States through various media, so it’s very important to communicate Russia’s position directly – and this has certainly been done,” Dmitriev noted.
Of course, there are kazillions of Euros worth of weapons to move and the War Industry is not very patient.
“There is a very useful dialogue going on. It is certainly going on in very difficult conditions - constant attacks and constant misinformation,” he said. Asked whether the sides have made progress, the envoy replied: “Time will tell.”
The Trump administration has been pursuing direct talks with Russia’s leadership in order to agree a ceasefire to the Ukraine conflict, in contrast to most EU countries, which continue to insist on supporting Kiev for “as long as it takes.” As a result of US mediation, Kiev and Moscow agreed to a 30-day moratorium on energy infrastructure strikes, which Russian officials say Ukraine has consistently violated.
Commenting on the US-Russia dialogue, Russian Foreign Ministry spokesperson Maria Zakharova has said that Washington “is listening” to Moscow and “does not rely on the imposed judgments of globalists or their affiliated experts.” Instead, the Trump administration is “trying to understand the details and essence of the issue in order to form its own view of the situation and potential solutions.”
Perhaps it is just too complicated for the USA, as they now seem to be threatening to withdraw from the talks. America is always in such a hurry when a little patience might actually accomplish something.
Moscow insists that the Ukraine conflict could be settled only if Kiev recognizes Russia’s new borders and commits to neutrality, demilitarization and non-nuclear status.
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