Andrii Sybiha addressed Slovenian diplomats as an honorary guest at the annual conference of Slovenia’s ambassadors

On Thursday, 28 August, at the invitation of the Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Foreign and European Affairs of Slovenia Tanja Fajon, Minister of Foreign Affairs of Ukraine Andrii Sybiha took part as an honorary guest in the annual conference of the heads of Slovenia’s diplomatic missions abroad.

The Minister addressed the Slovenian diplomatic corps via video link from Kyiv, noting the strength of Slovenia’s diplomatic service and its steadfast commitment to defending the common values of the democratic world. He emphasized the unwavering position of President Volodymyr Zelenskyy on the need to achieve a comprehensive, just and lasting peace for Ukraine.

The Minister expressed particular gratitude to his Slovenian counterpart Tanja Fajon for her leadership in supporting Ukraine, particularly in efforts to hold the aggressor accountable.

Andrii Sybiha informed Slovenian diplomats about the barbaric russian shelling of Ukraine last night, which resulted in the deaths of at least nineteen civilians, including four children, and damaged the buildings of the EU Delegation, the Embassy of Azerbaijan, and the British Council.

“Last night’s terror once again proved that russia disregards global diplomatic efforts. It shows disrespect for the United States and President Trump’s peace initiatives. After the attack, together with 55 heads of diplomatic missions in Ukraine, we visited the site of one of the war crimes – an ordinary residential building destroyed by a russian strike,” the Foreign Minister noted.

Andrii Sybiha stressed that russia is deliberately disrupting the peace process and potential sanctions. Instead, it only intensifies terror and increases the number of innocent people killed in Ukraine. The Minister also focused on the russian threat to Europe, underscoring that Ukraine is already today a contributor to the security of the entire Euro-Atlantic community.

“russia poses a serious threat to Poland, the Baltic States, and the whole of Europe. moscow will only be ready for constructive dialogue under the condition of joint pressure from our side. Only strength can consolidate our Europe,” the Minister stated.

The Foreign Minister devoted a separate part of his speech to Ukraine’s integration into the EU and underlined the need to open the first negotiation clusters as soon as possible and to preserve the synchronized advancement of Ukraine and Moldova toward the European Union. He stressed in particular that Ukraine and the Western Balkan countries are not competitors but partners on the path to European integration.

The head of Ukraine’s diplomatic service emphasized the necessity of strengthening Ukraine and increasing pressure on russia to bring peace closer. According to him, reinforcing the Ukrainian army, which ensures pan-European security, is a common interest for our partners and the foundation of security guarantees for Ukraine.

The Minister underlined the need to guarantee security on land, in the air, and at sea, as well as the crucial importance of a ceasefire for advancing diplomatic efforts and the broader peace process. He once again stressed that security guarantees for Ukraine must be legally binding and genuinely effective.

The Ukrainian diplomat also stated the need to increase pressure on russia and deliver a sanctions blow to the russian war machine. He specified that this means sanctions against russia’s banking system and its “shadow fleet”, lowering the so-called “price cap” on russian oil, and other measures.

Andrii Sybiha expressed deep gratitude to Slovenia for implementing various humanitarian projects in support of Ukraine, particularly support through foster families in Khmelnytskyi, child rehabilitation programs, assistance to Kharkiv, and energy projects in Lviv and Zhytomyr.

“Ukraine highly values Slovenia’s support for the “Grain from Ukraine” initiative and the new “Food from Ukraine” program. We hope for further deepening of our cooperation with Slovenia in building resilient food systems and in jointly seeking solutions for the most vulnerable countries of the world,” the Minister noted.

The Foreign Minister also discussed with Slovenian diplomats mutual support and the promotion of joint initiatives within international organizations, in particular the UN. In conclusion, he expressed deep gratitude to Slovenia for its support of Ukraine in countering russia’s full-scale aggression and voiced hope for the active development of bilateral cooperation, in particular in the defense sector, as well as for the participation of the Slovenian government and companies in the reconstruction of Ukraine.