NEW US SECURITY STRATEGY MAY OPEN SPACE FOR POSITIVE CHANGE IN SERBIA AND REPUBLIKA SRPSKA

BELGRADE, DECEMBER 9 /SRNA/ – The new US National Security Strategy, which emphasizes a liberal concept of Europe rather than directly identifying Russia and China as primary adversaries, could work in favor of Serbia and Republika Srpska by enabling positive change, political analyst Stevica Deđanski told SRNA.

Deđanski believes the United States will push for the closure of the Office of the High Representative /OHR/, while pressure on Christian Schmidt to inflict as much damage as possible under EU directives will intensify in the coming period. "We must be careful not to be cornered into making a mistake at the last moment. It's not easy, but we’ve managed before, and I believe we will again," Deđanski said. He noted that the new US national security strategy marks a clear break from previous versions that defined Russia and China as chief enemies. Deđanski mentioned that those references are now absent, and reading between the lines, the document almost directly invokes the neoliberal concept that dominates Europe. "When we see this, and when it's clear that Washington is preparing, let's call it, a disciplining of that part of Europe, we can say it works to our advantage - to Republika Srpska and Serbia. Now we can hope for positive changes for Serbia and Republika Srpska," Deđanski said. He stressed that within Europe's neoliberal framework, Serbs are invariably blamed for anything that happens. "In any situation - if someone undermines the Dayton Agreement, Republika Srpska and Milorad Dodik are blamed. If Serbs in Kosovo are harassed, Serbia is blamed for not giving up Kosovo. These absurd narratives have been repeated for years," Deđanski said. He added that he is almost certain that Serbs will have better prospects under the new US national security strategy. Deđanski reminded that Donald Trump's idea, dating back to his previous presidential term and the Washington Agreement between Belgrade and Priština, was to approach the issue through economic measures. "Had the Trump administration remained in office, there likely would have been progress on this matter and reduced tensions. When you work and develop economically, you can offer something other than hostility toward Serbia, which has often been the approach of regional leaders. So we can be hopeful, and I am certain the USA will channel all its efforts in that direction," Deđanski stressed. Emphasizing that the success of the strategy depends on political battles within the United States, Deđanski also warned that resistance in Europe will be significant, recalling former President Joseph Biden's statement that `they lost the battle, but not the war`. "So this `war` has shifted to the EU. All of this is a struggle for influence. And if this Trump-led approach prevails, we will have much better chances than before," Deđanski said.