ZELJKOVIĆ: EUROPE MUST RENEW COMMUNICATION WITH RUSSIA, ENOUGH OF EU HYPOCRISY AND BLACKMAIL

BANJA LUKA, MAY 26 /SRNA/ - Dialogue is the only path to solutions, and no power aspiring for global dominance, like the Biden administration and the Democrats, should ever be allowed to strip countries and peoples of their right to decide for themselves and defend their interests, said Bogoljub Zeljković, SNSD councilor of the Banja Luka City Assembly.

Reacting to Slovenian President Nataša Pirc Musar’s statement that the EU made a mistake by cutting off communication with Russia and that Europe should advocate for initiating talks with the U.S.A, Russia, and Ukraine, Zeljković told SRNA that Europe must restore contacts and cooperation with Russia. He described Musar’s position as reasonable and the only logical one.

“Republika Srpska realized early that the irrational policies of the Biden administration, blindly followed by European countries, would collapse and be defeated. Sanctions have also proven ineffective, causing more harm to Europe while making Russia stronger,” Zeljković emphasized.

According to him, Europe should never have allowed communication channels to be severed.

“This is where the full extent of Europe’s hypocrisy was revealed, which kept asking us to abandon our friends, while they were secretly purchasing cheaper Russian gas and telling us something entirely different.

Such politics, of course, shattered our trust in the EU. Along with the constant invention of new conditions for BiH on its EU path, this has made us doubt whether the European path for BiH is even viable,” Zeljković stated.

He reminded that Republika Srpska refused to give up its friendships, especially with Russia, for Brussels' false promises. It is clearly stated and we keep demanding from Brussels a serious response, namely to undo the chaos created by Christian Schmidt.

“This chaos cannot be fixed by blaming the Serbs. It can only be resolved by removing the one who caused it and he who is to blame for the greatest constitutional and political crisis in BiH since the Dayton,” Zeljković said.

He stressed that Republika Srpska offers equal and concrete partnership based on mutual respect, which is the only correct approach, because only on such principles can national interests truly be defended - something Republika Srpska is actively doing.

“Those who believe they can achieve their goals by trampling on others must understand that such policies are already defeated. The time is coming when cooperation and agreement will be paramount. We must all do our part to ensure that dialogue and consensus prevail across the world. Republika Srpska is ready to be an equal partner of the EU and to contribute, together with those countries that have realized the consequences of ignoring Russia, to improving Europe-Russia relations.

Had we accepted all the absurd demands from Brussels, we would be facing the same problems Montenegro is facing now. It was dragged into someone else’s conflict, a conflict between great powers. Some forces in Europe want the war in Ukraine to continue at any cost, and if we had complied like Montenegro, we would now be forced to reject new demands and once again be labeled the ‘black sheep,’ as Serbs often are labeled when they refuse to follow irrational policies,” said Zeljković.

When you tell them that dialogue has no alternative, Zeljković added, you are branded autocrats, separatists, and labeled in all sorts of ways. But it’s clear that this is a well-thought-out scheme by certain circles, as some benefit from continued conflict and want it to last as long as possible.

What’s encouraging is the emerging American willingness to stop these conflicts and the realization that Russia cannot be ignored. It’s also proof of how dependent European policy is on American influence, and how lacking Europe is in serious leadership capable of making important decisions, even when they are difficult,” Zeljković concluded.