Blic: Putin told Dodik to "pull the handbrake"

The conversation between the President of Republika Srpska, Milorad Dodik, and Russian President Vladimir Putin in Moscow was friendly, but Putin asked Dodik to "pull the handbrake", reduce inflammatory rhetoric, and personally relax the strained relations between Serbs and Bosniaks, writes "Blic", citing well-informed diplomatic sources.

The discussion about the referendum between Dodik and Putin lasted only a few minutes, "Blic" states, as reported by Tanjug.

The head of the Russian state also conveyed to the President of Republika Srpska that his country expects tensions in Bosnia and Herzegovina to de-escalate, meaning that he expects a milder tone from Dodik, as well as from all other political leaders in the region.

The President of Russia was explicit in his message to the President of Republika Srpska that through his actions and statements, he must contribute to calming the situation in Bosnia and Herzegovina and the region, and to reducing tensions between Serbs and Bosniaks, reports NAP.