Trump Dodik sanctions — US lawmakers are accusing the administration of President Donald Trump of lifting sanctions on Bosnian Serb leader Milorad Dodik to facilitate a lucrative $1.7 billion gas pipeline project for a company linked to Trump’s allies, according to a congressional report and US media. The report, titled “Pay to Play in the Balkans,” alleges a direct connection between the sanctions relief and Dodik’s subsequent decision not to oppose the project.

The project, the Southern Interconnection gas pipeline, would be built by the US company AAFS Infrastructure & Energy. The firm is led by Jesse Binal, a former personal attorney to Trump, and Joseph Flynn, the brother of Trump’s former national security advisor Michael Flynn. The pipeline aims to connect Bosnia and Herzegovina to the Croatian gas network, reducing dependence on Russian gas.

Dodik, who has long had close ties to the Kremlin, had previously blocked the project for years using his party’s veto power in Bosnia’s parliament. Sanctions against him, first imposed in 2017 and expanded in 2022, were lifted in October 2025. A congressional report by Democrats claims the Trump administration used its diplomatic influence to secure the concession for AAFS. Documents show Michael Flynn was paid $100,000 as a lobbyist for Republika Srpska, with his contract ending in October 2025 when the sanctions were revoked.

The US Department of Justice and the Foreign Agents Registration Unit (FARA) are reportedly investigating potential conflicts of interest and high-level corruption related to the deal.