Prime Minister Janez Janša in an interview for Newsmax on relations with Israel, the Ukraine crisis and European security
SLOVENIA, September 11 - The interview took place on the occasion of the opening of the State of Israel's first resident embassy in Slovenia and the visit of Israeli Foreign Minister Gideon Sa'ar.
By opening an embassy and signing a programme for cooperation in the fields of education, science, culture, youth, and sport until 2030, the two countries have taken a further step towards strengthening their bilateral relations. During the interview, the Prime Minister highlighted that strengthening relations between Slovenia and Israel means the normalisation of relations between the two countries. "This is not a radical shift by our government. It is simply a return to normality," he said, noting that Slovenia was one of the few European countries without a resident Israeli embassy. He also pointed to the rise of antisemitism in Europe.
Ukraine needs a ceasefire
A significant portion of the interview was devoted to the war in Ukraine. The Prime Minister reiterated his support for Ukraine and, given the high number of casualties, stressed the need to reach a ceasefire as soon as possible. "Hundreds of thousands of people have died on both sides." The price they are paying is enormous. Ukraine needs a ceasefire," he added.
According to him, the United States plays a key role in efforts to end the war. Europe remains important primarily in providing financial support to Ukraine, while US support is essential for its defence capabilities. In this context, the Prime Minister warned that a Russian victory would significantly worsen the security situation in Europe, particularly for NATO's eastern members and the Baltic states, while a prolonged war, in his view, primarily benefits China.
Europe should take more responsibility for its security
The Prime Minister emphasised the significance of increasing defence spending and strengthening European countries' own defence capabilities. According to him, Slovenia is not increasing defence funding solely because of its commitments within NATO, but primarily due to its own security needs and the changed geopolitical circumstances.
He warned that Europe had relied for too long on cheap Russian energy, cheap Chinese imports and US security guarantees. Therefore, Europe should take more responsibility for its own security and economic resilience.
"This is our responsibility. The United States and China are not to blame. China is merely taking advantage of our weakness," he said.
On experience with socialism
The Prime Minister also spoke about his experience with the former communist regime and responded to the question about the popularity of democratic socialism among some members of the younger generation in the United States of America. "There is no such thing as democratic socialism. Socialism cannot be democratic. That is like talking about dry water," he said.
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