Minister Fajon in discussion on Ukraine: We cannot acquiesce to a world in which force triumphs over law

SLOVENIA, June 9 - “The Ukrainian people are fighting not only for their country, but also for our shared values of freedom, democracy and human dignity. Slovenia supports Ukraine and provides help to the best of its abilities. We will continue to stand by Ukraine and provide military and humanitarian aid, as well as psychosocial and rehabilitative assistance, help with demining, infrastructure building and strengthening the capacity of the local communities,” Minister Fajon highlighted in her address.  

She said that last month, Slovenia opened a renovated centre for the psychosocial support of children and internally displaced families in the suburb of Kharkiv. Soon, Slovenia will also open a foster home in the Khmelnytskyi Oblast. “We will also support Ukrainians who have sought refuge in our country. We are aware that all of the above is just a drop in the ocean compared to what Ukraine needs. However, if we are able to help even one community or one family, or save even one child, it is something we must do,” added the Slovenian Foreign Minister. She emphasised that the numerous Ukrainian children who were forcibly taken from their homes must be brought back and protected.  

According to Minister Fajon, Slovenia will continue to strive for a just and lasting peace in Ukraine that is founded on international law and the principles of the UN Charter. This peace must be agreed to by Ukraine and include respect for its sovereignty and territorial integrity. “We cannot acquiesce to a world in which force triumphs over law. As a staunch supporter of international law, Slovenia will continue to do everything in its power for war crimes, crimes against humanity and other punishable acts, committed in Ukraine and against Ukrainians, to not go unpunished,” Minister Fajon emphasised. She added that Slovenia is prepared to host peace negotiations.

In his address the Ambassador of Ukraine to Slovenia, H. E. Petro Beshta, thanked Slovenia and described the events of last week in Ukraine, during which Russia reinforced its attacks despite peace negotiations.

The discussion, which was moderated by Katja Geršak, co-founder and director of the non-governmental organisation Regional Dialogue, featured Branko Soban, a renowned columnist, Tomaž Mencin, the former ambassador of Slovenia to Ukraine, Luka Goršek, a volunteer and aid organiser in Ukraine, Uliana Cheboratenko, Ukrainian student, and Oleg Rogoza, a Ukrainian activist. The round table speakers shared their personal experiences of the war, which they said began in 2014 and continues to this day with no end in sight. They also discussed their hopes and aspirations for a peaceful future.

The event included an exhibition entitled Lost childhoods, which allowed the guests to learn about the issue of abducted Ukrainian children. According to the data by Ukrainian authorities, Russia has forcibly abducted more than 19,000 children from the temporarily occupied territories.