A growing divide between the United States and Europe over the future of Bosnia and Herzegovina has become increasingly evident following a disagreement regarding a key international position, prompting Washington to warn that it may reconsider its role in maintaining peace in the country.
The U.S. Embassy in Sarajevo issued the warning after European states declined to support the United States’ preferred candidate for the position of the next High Representative.
At a meeting of the Peace Implementation Council (PIC) in Sarajevo this week — a multinational body responsible for overseeing the implementation of the 1995 Dayton Peace Agreement — Washington backed Italian diplomat Antonio Zanardi Landi, while the United Kingdom, France, Germany, and most European countries supported René Troccaz, France’s Special Envoy for the Western Balkans, according to The Guardian.
In a statement posted on X, the U.S. Embassy in Sarajevo expressed disappointment over the lack of European consensus and the PIC’s inability to fulfill its mandate of selecting a new High Representative.
“The United States takes note of the Europeans’ failure to reach consensus around a European candidate and is disappointed that these divisions prevented the PIC from carrying out its responsibility to appoint a new High Representative. European indecision and the PIC’s abandonment of its responsibility toward Bosnia and Herzegovina are forcing the United States to reassess its role in the current international presence in Bosnia and Herzegovina,” the embassy stated.
Bosnia and Herzegovina is currently host to a small European Union peacekeeping force, while the United States no longer maintains a significant military presence in the country. Nevertheless, Washington has continued to play an influential role through the PIC and its bilateral relationships.
The PIC is expected to make another attempt to reach consensus on the High Representative position later this month, when compromise candidates may emerge.
A European official suggested that the region could benefit if the United States reduced its involvement, amid growing concerns about the motives of the Trump administration. Last year, Washington lifted sanctions on Milorad Dodik, the Moscow-backed Bosnian Serb separatist leader, following a lobbying campaign in the United States reportedly worth several million dollars.
The United States has also reportedly pressured outgoing High Representative Christian Schmidt to resign after he imposed punitive measures on Dodik for undermining the Dayton Peace Agreement.
At the same time, reports indicate that individuals close to Donald Trump and his associates have expanded their business interests in Bosnia and Herzegovina. This included a visit by Donald Trump Jr. to Banja Luka in April as a guest of Milorad Dodik’s son.
According to reports from the PIC meeting in Sarajevo, the United States supported Landi’s candidacy more strongly than Italy itself.
