DODIK: THREATS OVER CLOSE TIES WITH RUSSIA DO NOT AFFECT ME

MOSCOW, MAY 13 /SRNA/ - SNSD leader Milorad Dodik says that he receives threats, including from Brussels, because of Republika Srpska - Russia close ties, but that they do not affect him because, unlike Europe itself, he remains free in his choices.

Dodik stated that the fact his political significance has not disappeared is something the Brussels bureaucracy and certain European administrations do not like. "I received threats and heard that I should not have come to Moscow. For them, this is not Victory Day; they have turned it into Europe Day - they are simply avoiding the fact that it is Victory Day," Dodik told TASS. He stressed that the West, using non-existent laws in BiH and the political power of Brussels and the previous US administration, is destabilizing Republika Srpska and targeting the top office and the politically most powerful individual. Dodik added that Brussels bureaucrats orchestrated a shameful trial against him over alleged non-compliance with Christian Schmidt’s decisions. "Based on the need to preserve peace and stability, and after consultations with our friends, including those in Moscow, we decided it would be best to hold the presidential elections without me, while I remain politically active, which is exactly what is happening," Dodik stated. Speaking about German support for Kyiv, Dodik assessed that official Berlin is currently attempting to "attack the truth," among other things by supporting followers of Nazi ideology in Ukraine. "Germany has become economically stronger, and perhaps they are simply tired of living with their negative history, so they are creating this new context for future generations. In this process, we expect even harsher attacks on the truth. Therefore, it is our obligation to do everything we can to ensure that the truth remains present," Dodik said. According to Dodik, this is precisely why May 9 is celebrated in Republika Srpska as Victory Day, not Europe Day. "We ask them: why didn't you choose another day to celebrate Europe Day? Could it have been May 10 or May 1? No, it is important for them to do it on May 9 in order to re-educate their generations and tell them that everything that happened is some distant past, problems that should not be remembered," Dodik said. He stressed that this is exactly what must not be forgotten. "Yes, they say all of this is new, that we should not dwell on the past, that we must move forward. But what happened in that past?" Dodik asked. He pointed to the 28 million dead Soviet soldiers, the suffering of Serbs and Jews, and questioned how many Serbs there would be today had it not been for the terrible suffering of the two world wars and the loss of half the population. "Therefore, we believe we have a right to our truth and that they will not be able to impose their narratives on us. If they could do that, it would mean they had achieved the goals pursued by Hitler and Austria-Hungary during the First World War," Dodik emphasized.