Trump's people helped Dodik win. He thanked Putin

James Blair and Chris LaCivita - associates of Donald Trump and people involved in the activities of the MAGA Inc. committee supporting him. – visited Republika Srpska before Sunday's elections. The information was reported by the New York Times, citing four people who knew the details of the trip.

According to the newspaper, both were to advise the authorities of this autonomous entity of Bosnia and Herzegovina on matters related to voting. They were to receive several hundred thousand dollars for their work through a law firm from Washington, hired by the government of Republika Srpska.

The authorities of Republika Srpska did not respond to "NYT"'s questions regarding cooperation and its financing.

Dodik's party won the elections

The party led by Milorad Dodik, a dominant political figure in Republika Srpska for years, clearly won Sunday's elections. In his speech after the announcement of the results, Dodik thanked Vladimir Putin for his support and presented Trump's victory in the 2024 presidential elections as a factor favoring his political camp.

Republika Srpska is one of the two entities that make up Bosnia and Herzegovina. Its current political shape results from the Dayton Agreement of 1995, which ended the war in the former Yugoslavia.

Milorad Dodik has been under US sanctions for years. Washington accused him of actions that undermined the Dayton Peace Agreement. The restrictions, introduced at the end of Barack Obama's administration and extended during Joe Biden's presidency, were lifted at the end of last year by the Trump administration - reminds the New York Times.

Dodik was also convicted by a court in Bosnia and Herzegovina for failing to comply with the decision of the High Representative of the international community. The consequence of the verdict was his removal from the position of president of Republika Srpska and a ban from holding office.

Close relations with Trump's entourage

According to the American daily, since the beginning of 2025, lobbyists and consultants associated with Trump and the Republican Party have received over $4 million from the Republika Srpska authorities. The aim of these activities was to build influence and relationships in Washington.

In April, Republika Srpska was visited by Donald Trump Jr. He was the guest of Milorad Dodik's son. In turn, Željka Cvijanović, representing the Dodik camp in the three-person presidency of Bosnia and Herzegovina, met in September at the White House with Susie Wiles, the US president's chief of staff.

"I have no idea who else they work for, but on second thought I will ask them about it. If it turns out there is a conflict of interest, I will fire them immediately!" - Donald Trump said in an entry about his advisers on Truth Social.