Bipartisan Push: Lawmakers Urge Trump to Re-Sanction Serb Leader

A bipartisan group of U.S. lawmakers called on the Trump administration to impose sanctions on former Bosnian Serb leader Milorad Dodik, arguing that his actions undermine peace and security in the Balkans. The request, made through a letter obtained by The Hill, was addressed to the Treasury Secretary and Secretary of State, urging the imposition of sanctions in accordance with federal law. Lawmakers noted that the measures should have been applied on March 18.

The letter was led by Senators Jeanne Shaheen and Thom Tillis, and it underscores concerns about Dodik's actions, which lawmakers believe go against the 1995 Dayton Peace Accords. These accords ended the Bosnian war, which lasted three and a half years, causing the deaths of 100,000 people and displacing over 2 million. The majority of the victims were Bosnian Muslims.

The Dayton Accords established a government with a tripartite presidency, representing the three main ethnic groups: Bosniaks, Croats, and Serbs. Dodik represented Bosnian Serbs, who are mostly Eastern Orthodox Christians and reside primarily in the territory of Republika Srpska.

The Biden administration sanctioned Dodik in 2022 for corruption and threats to the stability and territorial integrity of Bosnia and Herzegovina, extending the sanctions to members of his family in January 2025. However, former President Trump lifted the sanctions on Dodik, his family, and associates in October 2025, without providing an explanation. Serbian officials indicated that they were quietly working to establish a cooperative relationship with the U.S. while maintaining friendly ties with Russia.

Lawmakers argue that Dodik's subsequent actions demonstrate his lack of interest in pursuing the path to political stability. The letter was also signed by other prominent senators, including Chuck Grassley, Roger Wicker, Dick Durbin, and Elizabeth Warren, as well as representatives such as Mike Turner and Ann Wagner.

The lawmakers mention multiple instances where Dodik advocated for the secession of Republika Srpska from Bosnia and Herzegovina, undermining the Dayton Accords and violating provisions included in the 2026 National Defense Authorization Act (NDAA).

The letter highlights Dodik's participation in the January 9 celebrations of Republika Srpska Day, which was declared illegal for discriminating against Bosnian Muslims and Catholic Croats. They also underscore Dodik's influence in his former party, SNSD, and in the President of Republika Srpska, Sinisa Karan, noting the government's hiring of a Washington D.C. lobbying firm with the explicit goal of securing U.S. support and obtaining the independence of Republika Srpska.

The lawmakers pointed out that after the Trump administration delisted Dodik from sanctions, the former president used his public platform to advocate for abandoning the 1995 peace agreements, including "divisive rhetoric" against the country's ethnic minorities. They also mentioned another Bosnian official, Staasa Kosarac, who was recently delisted by the U.S., sending a "Nazi-era paramilitary helmet" to the office of the International Peace Observer in the country.

The lawmakers concluded that the United States has played an important role in maintaining peace and stability in Bosnia and Herzegovina, and that it is in the national security interest to ensure that actors who seek to undermine over thirty years of peace are held accountable before greater instability ensues.