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WORLD NEWS Tuesday 12 april 2022
U.K. sanctions 2 Bosnian-Serb leader for undermining peace

Associated Press ish authorities said. She has
LONDON (AP) — Britain also glorified war criminals
sanctioned two leading and denied acts of geno-
Bosnian-Serb politicians cide during the civil war,
Monday, accusing them they said.
of encouraging ethnic ha- The top international of-
tred and jeopardizing the ficial in Bosnia, Christian
peace accord that end- Schmidt, described the de-
ed the civil war in Bosnia- cision to impose sanctions
Herzegovina more than 25 on Dodik and Cvijanovic as
years ago. "reasonable" and thanked
Milorad Dodik and Zeljka the British government for
Cvijanovic will be hit with its commitment to Bosnia's
asset freezes and travel stability and security.
bans in the first sanctions "Dodik and Cvijanovic
the U.K. has leveled in Bos- missed every opportunity
nia. Foreign Secretary Liz to get back into construc-
Truss said Russian President tive dialogue for the ben-
Vladimir Putin's invasion of efit of the people in this
Ukraine had emboldened country,'' said Schmidt,
the pair to further erode the who heads the U.N.'s Of-
international rules based fice of High Representative
system in the Western Bal- in Bosnia. "They will have to
kans. bear the consequences of
"These two politicians are President of the Republic of Srpska Milorad Dodik, left, speaks with Prime Minister of Republika their words and deeds, and
deliberately undermining Srpska Zeljka Cvijanovic during the final campaign rally in the Bosnian town of Banja Luka, 240 the U.K. sanctions are the
the hard won peace in kms northwest of Sarajevo, on, Oct. 5, 2018. continuation of the con-
Bosnia and Herzegovina,'' Associated Press sequences that started in
Truss said in a statement. January with the U.S. sanc-
"Encouraged by Putin, their its own sanctions on sev- 1995 U.S.-sponsored agree- three ethnic groups. tions."
reckless behavior threatens en more people from the ment that ended Bosnia's U.S. authorities had previ- The practical impact of
stability and security across Western Balkans. civil war, which killed more ously sanctioned Dodik, Monday's actions is un-
the Western Balkans.'' Dodik has for years advo- than 100,000 people and accusing him of "corrupt clear. Both Dodik and Cvi-
U.K. authorities say the pair cated separating the Bos- left millions homeless. The activities" that threaten to janovic said they don't
have have used their posi- nian Serb mini-state from agreement established two destabilize the region. The have assets in the U.K.
tions to push for the de fac- the federation and unit- separate governing entities Americans allege that he "All they (British) say are
to secession of Republika ing it with neighboring Ser- in Bosnia — one run by Bos- used his leadership posi- lies. They are old manipu-
Srpska — one of two semi- bia. He is the Bosnian Serb nia's Serbs and the other tion to accumulate wealth lators and enemies of the
autonomous regions that member of Bosnia's tripar- controlled by the country's through graft and bribery. Serb people. I told them so
comprise the federation of tite presidency, which also Bosniaks and Croats. Cvijanovic, the president of many times before," said
Bosnia and Herzegovina — includes representatives The two entities are linked Republika Srpska, the Serb Dodik. "They are helpless in
in direct contravention of of the Bosnian Muslim and by joint institutions, and all entity, has proposed leg- their feud with Putin, and
the country's constitution. Croat communities. actions taken at a national islation to transfer powers they accuse the two of us
The U.S. Treasury Depart- Secession would violate level have to be reached from the national govern- now of acting on orders
ment on Monday imposed the Dayton Accords, the by consensus among the ment to her mini-state, Brit- from Putin."q

Warsaw takes over Russia-built compound to give to Ukraine

WARSAW (AP) — A disput- vasion of Ukraine added the Russian invasion began.
ed compound in the Polish urgency to the decades- Russia's Embassy, which
capital of Warsaw adminis- long procedure. had the tall apartment
tered by Russia's diplomat- "It is very symbolic that we blocks built in the 1970s
ic mission is being taken are closing this procedure on land obtained from
over by the city and will of many years now, at the the city, has been refusing
be made available to the time of Russia's aggression" court orders to pay to lease
Ukrainian community, the against Ukraine, Trzaskowski the land or hand it over.
mayor said Monday. said on Twitter. Once busy, the buildings
Mayor Rafal Trzaskowski Ukraine's ambassador, An- became empty in the
was at the site early Mon- drii Deshchytsia, told Po- 1990s, after Poland shed its
day and said a bailiff had land's state news agency communist rule and Soviet
entered the two apparent- PAP that Ukraine will file Union's dominance in 1989,
ly empty, fenced buildings, to lease the compound, and after the Soviet Union
nicknamed "Spyville" by which could be used for a itself dissolved in 1991.
Warsaw residents, to check school or a Ukrainian cul- Ever since, Poland has been Polish security team guarding entrance to a compound that
on their condition and to ture center. saying that the contract for had been used by Soviet-era and Russian diplomats and busi-
nessmen and is being claimed back by the city of Warsaw with
mark them as seized by the One of Trzaskowski's pro- the lease of the plot of land the intention to make it available to the Ukrainian community in
city. posals for the 100-odd had expired and demand- Warsaw, Poland, on Monday, April 11, 2022.
Trzaskowski said Warsaw apartments there is to ac- ed that it be returned. But Associated Press
was getting back the com- commodate war refugees its gates remained closed
pound "unlawfully" occu- from Ukraine. More than and guarded. much more property in tion of reciprocity rules, ac-
pied by Russia. Last month 2.6 million of them have Russia's diplomatic and Poland than Poland has cording to Poland's Foreign
he said Russia's Feb. 24 in- crossed into Poland since business missions have in Russia, which is in viola- Ministry.q