Trump Allies Balkan Government Ties Exposed by NYT
The trump allies balkan government story widened this week as The New York Times reported that the pro-Russian government of Republika Srpska has enlisted a host of people with close ties to the upper reaches of the Trump administration over the past few months.
Republika Srpska is a self-governing territory inside Bosnia and Herzegovina led by a government that maintains close ties to Moscow. According to the Times, when that government wanted help this summer on an energy project, it turned to Continental Strategy, a Washington lobbying firm with deep ties to President Donald Trump.
Continental Strategy and Katie Wiles
Continental Strategy counts among its partners several former Trump campaign and administration officials — as well as Katie Wiles, the daughter of Trump’s chief of staff, Susie Wiles. According to the Times, Wiles soon accompanied a Texas energy entrepreneur to Srpska to explore a partnership with the government to build a gas pipeline.
The entrepreneur himself has Trump ties: one of his companies has received investments from Donald Trump Jr. and assistance from the Trump administration, the report said.
Federal lobbying disclosures filed under the Foreign Agents Registration Act show that Continental Strategy agreed in February 2026 to provide federal lobbying services to Republika Srpska for $35,000 per month. Documents filed with the Justice Department indicate the territory has paid more than $4 million since the start of 2025 to lobbyists and political operatives linked to Trump.
Operatives Traveled for the Elections
Separately, at least six current and former Trump political operatives traveled to Srpska this month to assist the government around its elections, according to the Times. Among them were Continental partner Alex Garcia, who served on Trump’s 2024 campaign and recommended two of Trump’s top political advisers to Srpska’s government, and Andrew H. Smith, a Trump lawyer who worked with the pair on election-related matters.
The involvement of those two advisers — James Blair and Chris LaCivita — appeared to anger Trump after the Times revealed they had been paid to provide advice to Srpska’s government. “If there’s a conflict, I will terminate them, immediately!” the president wrote on social media.
Bosnia and Herzegovina’s Constitutional Court ruled on September 25 that Republika Srpska’s lobbying activities were not in accordance with the country’s constitution, finding their objectives contrary to the constitution and to the court’s own decisions.
Source: The New York Times