Minister Logar backs additional sanctions against Russia and Belarus at the Foreign Affairs Council

27. 2. 2022

Ministry of Foreign Affairs

Minister of Foreign Affairs Anže Logar today attended an extraordinary meeting of the Foreign Affairs Council via video conference, which was convened to discuss EU assistance to Ukraine while the Russian military activities are taking place.

Minister Logar attends the fourth FAC meeting this week | Author Ministrstvo za zunanje zadeve

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At the meeting headed by Josep Borrell, High Representative of the European Union for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy, the ministers of EU member states continued to discuss further assistance to Ukraine following the extraordinary meetings of the European Council and the Foreign Affairs Council last week. Ukraine is currently at a critical stage of the Russian invasion because the Russian armed forces have already reached and to a large extent surrounded its capital, Kyiv. The military attack on Ukraine is also affecting the security situation in the EU and elsewhere in Europe, which is why concrete steps are needed to strengthen Ukraine’s defence.

To this end, the ministers coordinated a political agreement to adopt support measures to Ukraine under the European Peace Facility (EPF), which will also allow the financing of arms and military equipment to assist Ukraine.

The ministers also exchanged views on further diplomatic activities and diplomatic efforts to solve the security crisis, further assistance to the region and additional sanctions to further isolate Russia from the international financial system and economic flows, including the exclusion of Russian banks from the SWIFT system.

Minister Logar expressed support for the measures intended to assist Ukraine through the European Peace Facility aimed at strengthening defence forces and for additional sanctions against Russia and Belarus, stressing the need to adopt them as soon as possible. He informed the participants about the assistance that Slovenia had provided to Ukraine so far, i.e. a contribution in the amount of EUR 100,000 to assist the people of Ukraine in addition to providing material and military equipment. The Minister added that the Republic of Slovenia had closed its airspace to Russian aircraft and called for a coordinated EU approach to diplomatic activities that would exert additional pressure on the Russian Federation. He also underlined the importance of proactive EU engagement in addressing Russian disinformation and cybersecurity challenges.