WEBVTT

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Let's bring in the Slovenian
prime minister Janez Janša,

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who joins us now live.

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A real pleasure
to talk to you today.

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When you look at what’s happened
over the last 24 hours in Ukraine

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and look at how
this war is progressing,

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do you feel that Slovenia is
potentially a future state at risk?

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First of all, good afternoon,
especially to you,

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reporting from a very sensitive,
dangerous zone.

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Yes, we are all at risk because,
if Ukraine is taken by Putin,

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then this is not the end.
We know this from history.

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Europe is now in the same situation
as it was in 1939,

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when Poland was attacked.

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If Hitler was stopped at that point,

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Europe would not have faced
a six-year-long Second World War.

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It’s as crucial as this,
and we have to be aware,

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so defending Ukraine
is also defending Europe,

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and it’s also defending Slovenia.

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Do you feel this is the end
for an independent Ukraine?

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First of all, I think that
what’s going on in Ukraine,

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this is massive suffering

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and in Slovenia
we know how they feel

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because thirty years ago
we were in the same situation

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for ten days only,
then we prevailed,

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but we were attacked
by the Yugoslav communist army,

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which behaved like the Russian
army is behaving now in Ukraine.

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We knew what will happen
when the aggression started,

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and I think
that we have to do everything

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to help Ukrainians
to defend themselves.

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We have to help their refugees,
and we have to give them hope.

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This is why we launched
the initiative to take them

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into the European Union
as fast as possible.

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This is not about
the procedures now,

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it’s about the hope,
giving to the people,

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giving them the feeling
that they belong to our family,

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giving them strength
to defend themselves,

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telling them you are part of us.

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We will do everything we can
to help you, to defend you.

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You are also fighting for Europe.

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And that is something
that I think is mirrored

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in all the other countries that are
taking in large numbers of refugees.

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There seems to be so much generosity
from so many people

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in so many parts of the world
towards them.

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Aside from the humanitarian aid
that many people are giving,

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what about the reaction of NATO?

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Do you feel that it has
been strong enough?

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Well, NATO is an alliance,

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responsible firstly to defend
their own, our own members

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and currently this is happening.

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NATO hasn’t been as united
as it is now, I don’t think,

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at any time
since the end of the Cold War.

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But it is not enough. According
to my opinion, we have to,

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it’s proper that NATO is not
directly involved in the conflict

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with the troops on the ground.

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But currently we have to do
everything to strengthen

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the air defence of Ukraine.

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Ukrainians are asking us
to introduce the no-fly zone.

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Some of our friends
are very afraid to do this.

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There are reasons
behind this position.

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I introduced the no-fly zone in
Ukraine before the conflict started.

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If this had happened, then Russia

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would take all risk
with starting the war with NATO.

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In practice,
maybe this is not so simple,

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but now there are
two options regarding

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introducing
the no-fly zone in Ukraine.

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First, we have to be aware,
this is Ukraine, this is not Russia.

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If this no-fly zone
is introduced in Ukraine,

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then this is the call of
sovereign leadership of this country

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and according to the international
law, Russia has no say in it.

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This is not talking
about the introduction

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of the no-fly zone
about Russian territory.

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This would be a threat to Russia,

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and this would be a real start
of the conflict theoretically.

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In practice,
the situation is different,

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and I think that NATO
must do everything

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to strengthen
the air defence of the Ukrainian army,

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of Ukrainian air forces.

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NATO actually has means to do this.

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It will take longer
and as you said recently,

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there is also a possibility
to introduce

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a limited non-fly zone

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to serve
the humanitarian purpose only.

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I think that with the combination
of these two last approaches

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we can help Ukrainians a lot,

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and with helping Ukrainians,
we are helping to defend Europe.

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Imagine if Ukraine,
country of 40 million, is taken,

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and we do nothing
real enough to help them?

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What those, who are
against helping Ukraine will say,

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when Putin will go
further to Moldova,

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Georgia, Baltic States,

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the same people will say:

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Oh, this is only one small country
of two million people.

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Why risk war with Russia,
which is a nuclear power?

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This is the same
debate as has happened

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in the 30s of
the last century,

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and we all know what
were the consequences,

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so it is time to be very serious.
The time to react is now,

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and I am very glad that I see

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the unity within the European Union
and also within NATO,

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which we have never faced
during the last three decades

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and this is giving hope
not only to me and to the Slovenians

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and other NATO members,
especially those,

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who are sharing the border
with the war zone now,

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but also to the Ukrainians.

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This is the place,
where strength for them is coming.

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Janez Janša,
the Slovenian Prime Minister,

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a pleasure to talk to you today.

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Thank you for explaining what the
people of Slovenia feel about this.