BLAGOJEVICH: DODIK AND VUČIĆ DEVELOPING STRONG TIES WITH TRUMP

BELGRADE, JUNE 22 /SRNA/ – Former Illinois governor Rod Blagojevich said that SNSD leader Milorad Dodik and Serbian President Aleksandar Vučić are developing strong ties with US President Donald Trump and that a strong Serbian presence in the Balkans is in the national interest of the United States.

"The best way to strengthen ourselves is through economic and military power, and in the case of the Serbian people in the Balkans - whether here in Serbia, in Republika Srpska, Montenegro or in the United States, the best way to achieve goals and protect the rights of the people is through leaders such as President Dodik, who is doing an excellent job and developing excellent relations with Trump", Blagojevich told RTRS during his visit to Belgrade. He added that, in his final analysis, it is in the national interest of the United States to maintain a strong Serbian presence in the Balkans because Serbs in Serbia and Republika Srpska represent the strongest pillar of the Judeo-Christian faith. Blagojevich said this carries particular significance at the geopolitical crossroads between Asia and Europe and argued that leaders such as Dodik, who resist what he described as attacks on the freedom and rights of Serbs, are heroes. "Trump is looking for new friends, and I believe the Serbian people here in Serbia and in Republika Srpska should be strong allies of the United States. It is in America's best interest for that to happen", Blagojevich said. He added that a strong and prosperous Serbia, as well as a strong and prosperous Republika Srpska, would also be beneficial for America and its interests in Europe and around the world. "Trump is different. He does not take orders from Europe, unlike Joseph Biden and Barack Obama. He is independent. He recognizes that it is in America’s interest to develop strong ties with the Serbian people in Banja Luka and Belgrade", Blagojevich emphasized. He further stated that he expects Trump in the near future to fill what he sees as a vacuum in Central and Eastern Europe following Viktor Orbán's defeat in Hungary and to find a new close partner in this part of Europe. "I can envision a day when Dodik could become the new Orban in terms of his relationship with Trump and the relations between the United States and Republika Srpska", the former Illinois governor said.