Great. The whole team, I see. Always more numerous.
Yeah, okay.
There are many topics to discuss today,
but I'd venture to say that this was a regular meeting
without a crisis situation.
Perhaps we've gotten used to crisis situations,
and things are now moving in a common direction.
We'll have a debate, but I don't expect any major surprises.
There's plenty of interest, from the situation in Russia
and our continued support for Ukraine.
This will take most of our time.
We'll also look at the situation closer to home,
in the Western Balkans and particularly in Kosovo;
both the economy and the issue of migrants,
what joint policies to adopt
so we could deal with future migrant crises more effectively.
Again, these are all major topics,
but there are no major dilemmas
because we're now dealing with gradual policies.
Are there any concerns about the slow progress
of the Ukrainian counter-offensive? And a financial question.
How do you view the development of monetary policy?
Further tightening is expected. Is this a potential risk...
As for monetary policy, it's a fact
that inflation remains higher than forecast
by the European Central Bank, so the actions make sense.
The situation will probably remain unchanged
for the rest of the year.
We'll need to be patient
and an understanding that until inflation stops,
and it doesn't look like that's happening,
such actions will continue to be needed.
As for the military matters, no, there are no concerns.
I believe this will be discussed at the NATO summit
in Vilnius. Today, we discussed Ukraine in the context
of how the EU could help with supplies,
and financial aid to help Ukraine function as a country.
Today, we'll discuss security guarantees,
which balance measures taken by the EU
with those taken by NATO.
We'll be joined by the Secretary General of NATO,
and I believe we'll discuss that as well.
What is Slovenia's position on Russia's frozen assets
and Russia's criminal responsibility for crimes in Ukraine?
Slovenia has made it clear that it supports
a criminal court for this case.
For now, we're leaning on having this done under UN auspices,
rather than setting up something new,
but there's no consensus regarding this.
As a future member of the Security Council,
we'd like to see a strengthened role for the UN.
As for the availability of Russian assets,
we urge caution. We could set a precedent
if we made any rash or extrajudicial moves.
If we believe in the rule of law, we should also act
in the rule of law in this case. This is our guiding principle.
We can look for solutions within this framework.
As for Russia, how do you view the risk
of destabilization? Is there such a risk?
And should Ukraine become a NATO member when the war is over
or as soon as possible?
As for the NATO membership, there are many different views
and formulas.
Time will tell if any of these formulas are acceptable,
but a permanent peace is one of the conditions
that we won't be able to back off easily
for us to even begin talking about this matter.
Ukraine is on a Euro-Atlantic pathway,
but how long that takes depends on many factors.
As we see in the Western Balkans, this road can sometimes
take longer than we'd like.
What was the other question? -The destabilization of Russia.
Regarding last weekend's events, I can only say
that any long-term war represents a major stressor
for anyone involved.
This became evident in Russia's domestic affairs
last weekend. Mercenary armies have never
contributed to the stability of any country.
I believe this is no exception.
The lessons of history are clear here,
and we should learn from them.
What consequences can this have for the EU and Slovenia,
this long-term instability?
No one wants a long-term war precisely because
of the instability that is spread out as a result.
Our guiding principle remains looking for peace
when an opportunity arises. I believe we're approaching
a period when we'll be able to talk about peace again.
What about security guarantees regarding Ukraine's
membership in the EU and NATO? What is Slovenia's position?
What guarantees can it provide?
Security guarantees are an entirely new topic.
For now, we don't foresee an expansion
of existing plans bur rather including
those plans under a common umbrella.
Nothing more than that has been discussed.
Where does Slovenia fit in here? -Slovenia is in favor
of carrying on under this umbrella
and helping Ukraine in terms of both defending
critical infrastructure and reconstruction,
so the country can function and receives our financial aid.
Do you feel that the events over the weekend
caused cracks in the Russian system?
These are Russia's internal affairs. I don't want to comment on them
or speculate about them. The risks of mercenary armies are well-known.