Serbian President Aleksandar Vučić has criticized what he described as “provocative” statements coming from Sarajevo, saying recent rhetoric demonstrates how some political figures in Bosnia and Herzegovina view Republika Srpska and the Dayton Peace Agreement.
Speaking to the public, Vučić referred specifically to comments by Bosnia and Herzegovina’s Defense Minister Zukan Helez, who had discussed the possibility of suspending relations with Republika Srpska.
Vučić described Helez’s remarks as “very bad, destructive and inflammatory,” but said Serbia would not respond in kind.
“Some people overestimate themselves and underestimate others. Let them do their job,” Vučić said, arguing that such statements reveal their attitude toward Republika Srpska and the Dayton framework.
Despite the tensions, Vučić said Serbia would avoid escalation and rejected the idea of entering into a conflict.
“We can endure this as long as we have the highest growth rate in Europe. Are we supposed to go to war? I do not want that,” he said.
Vučić’s comments come amid renewed political tensions in Bosnia and Herzegovina over the status of Republika Srpska and competing interpretations of the Dayton Peace Agreement, which ended the Bosnian war and established the country’s current constitutional structure.
Military cooperation with France
During his remarks, Vučić also discussed Serbia’s military cooperation with France, saying the two countries had discussed potential purchases of French-made military equipment.
“We discussed Rafale aircraft, and we need to discuss the purchase of H125 helicopters. That is our job,” Vučić said.
Serbia has been deepening defense cooperation with France as part of its broader efforts to modernize its armed forces and diversify military procurement.
Response to Jovo Bakić
Vučić also addressed comments by university professor and political activist Jovo Bakić, who had referred to the Serbian president swimming in the Sava River.
“I said I would swim,” Vučić said, adding that his position as president is limited to a certain date and that he would address such remarks afterward.
The Serbian president’s comments reflect the increasingly confrontational political atmosphere in Serbia and the wider region, where disputes over Bosnia and Herzegovina, Republika Srpska and domestic political tensions are increasingly intersecting.
