STA, 28 February 2022 - Prime Minister Janez Janša has assured Slovenian citizens who have their deposits with the Slovenian subsidiary of Sberbank that their savings are safe after the Russian bank's European division was forced to suspend operations.

"The Financial Ministry is working with Banka Slovenije and EU institutions so that disruption to operations and the transfer of savings deposits to a new owner take as little time as possible," Janša was quoted as saying by the Government Communication Office on Monday.

Janša thus responded to disruption in the banking system due to sanctions imposed on Russia over the invasion of Ukraine after the European Central Bank and the Single Resolution Board decided to suspend the operations of Sberbank Europe, which also has a subsidiary in Slovenia.

Banka Slovenije, the Slovenian central bank, said a moratorium had been imposed to find a fast and constructive solution for the Slovenian subsidiary to allow the clients to resume transactions without disruption.

Until Wednesday morning cash withdrawals and payments are limited to EUR 400 with further details to be presented on Tuesday.

The central bank is looking into several possible avenues to resolve the situation. According to the newspaper Finance these are selling or transferring the bank's assets, liabilities and clients; transferring the bank's assets and liabilities to a new entity partly or fully owned by the state, that is a kind of bad bank; or, alternatively, full transfer to such a bad bank.

Unofficial information obtained by Finance is that the first of the three scenarios, that is an attempt to transfer the clients, possibly to NLB or Gorenjska Banka, is currently playing out in Slovenia. It should be known on Tuesday whether those two banks would in fact submit bids.

The ECB would decide on clearing a potential transfer of clients to another bank applying a "super fast procedure", Finance reports.

After sanctions were imposed on Sberbank, Finance Minister Andrej Šircelj said solutions were being secured that would guarantee the safety of deposit holders. Savings are also guaranteed by the Savings Deposits Guarantee Fund and the state budget, he noted.

"The government is looking into the situation, we are in contact with businesses and the Chamber of Commerce and Industry (GZS) and we will do everything we can to help businesses," said Economy Minister Zdravko Počivalšek as he noted that Sberbank worked with businesses on both sides.

"The conclusion we have come to with the GZS is that it's unacceptable to solve crisis with war and that we will, unless a solution is found, insist on the sanctions imposed by the EU, which means the European and our economy will be hurt," he said, promising multi-layered solutions.

STA, 28 February 2022 - First refugees from Ukraine are coming to Slovenia as Defence Minister Matej Tonin announced that some ten of them had already arrived in the country, and the company Esotech said that two families of its workers who were building a wastewater treatment plant in the city of Zhytomyr had been accommodated in a hotel in Velenje.

Esotech chairman Marko Škoberne told the STA that the families included two children, aged one year and a half, and two years.

Radio Slovenija meanwhile reported that the local energy agency plans to take over some Ukrainian workers in Romania on Tuesday.

After they cross the border, they will be brought to Velenje, where they will be accommodated with Slovenian families. The Velenje Youth Hotel will also be made available.

The Velenje municipality said it was concerned about the situation in Ukraine and that it wanted to help, as did many Velenje residents, and that it was in constant contact with the Government Office for the Support and Integration of Migrants.

"We are also waiting for guidelines from the Civil Protection and Disaster Relief Administration, which is expected to coordinate campaigns to collect aid for Ukraine and deliver it there," the local authorities added.

Defence Minister Tonin meanwhile said today that it was Slovenia's obligation to ensure humanitarian aid for Ukraine, adding that Slovenia was gearing up to accept Ukrainian refugees.

Tonin noted that the Ministry of Labour had secured accommodation capacities for some 80 potential Ukrainian children and mothers.

"Ukraine needs our help, and it is our moral duty to respond to such a call for help to the best of our ability and to help with material and financial resources and military assistance," the minister said.

According to him, the ministry will establish a special centre where people could bring the aid they want to donate to Ukraine.

At the same time, the Civil Protection and Disaster Relief Administration will provide logistic support to transport the aid to Ukraine and the countries that are receiving Ukrainian refugees.

Tonin said that a special group had already been set up in Slovenia to arrange everything necessary for the reception of refugees. "The first refugees, some ten of them, have already arrived in Slovenia," he added.

Accommodation for around 250 women with children from Ukraine has also been secured in a special centre in Logatec.

Civil Protection boss Srečko Šestan added that the institution would support the efforts to help accommodate refugees from Ukraine, including by providing logistical aid.

Slovenia sending rifles, helmets and ammunition to Ukraine

STA, 28 February 2022 - Slovenia has sent rifles, ammunition and helmets to Ukraine, Defence Minister Matej Tonin revealed on Monday. He would not talk about quantities beyond saying that the aid has already been dispatched with "several aircraft".

"It would not be wise to disclose all of these figures," he told reporters after a meeting with his EU counterparts.

The ministers held a virtual meeting to discuss aid to Ukraine after the European Commission announced the bloc would set aside EUR 450 million to purchase and deliver weapons to Ukraine.

Another EUR 50 million will be spent to help the Ukrainian army with non-lethal equipment such as fuel and medical supplies.

Ministry urges Slovenians to leave Russia, Belarus

STA, 28 February 2022 - The Foreign Ministry has urged Slovenian citizens who are currently in Russia and Belarus to leave the countries due to "limited flight connections and increased safety risks". The ministry said in a tweet they should choose safe travel options.

The ministry says on its website that the assistance that the Slovenian Embassy in Moscow can provide to Slovenian citizens in these areas is limited.

The ministry does not have exact data on how many Slovenians are currently in Russia or Belarus, as people are not obligated to inform them where they travel, but it is estimated that around a hundred are in Russia and around 50 in Belarus.

Flights between the EU and Russia have been suspended, after the EU shut its airspace to Russian planes on Sunday and Russia did the same for EU planes today.

Several other countries have also urged their citizens to leave Russia and Belarus.

Due to the Russian military aggression against Ukraine, Slovenian citizens had been advised against all trips to the territories of Russia and Belarus.

Russia launched the attack on Ukraine on Thursday, and some of the operations are also carried out from the territory of Belarus. The West has imposed sanctions on Russia.

Foreign Minister Anže Logar meanwhile signed decrees revoking the credentials of all Russian honorary consuls in Slovenia. "Russia no longer has honorary consuls in Slovenia," the minister announced on Twitter on Sunday.

STA, 28 February 2022 - As transactions with the Slovenian subsidiary of Russian bank Sberbank have been suspended, there are difficulties with welfare payments to Sberbank clients. The Labour Ministry said that some 100 transfers of child benefits had been rejected, and difficulties with other transfers are also expected. 

Sanctions on Russia Leave Sberbank in Slovenia with Limited Operations until Wednesday

The ministry said on Monday that it had been informed by the Public Payments Administration that around 100 payments of child benefits to clients of Slovenia's Sberbank had bounced.

"Transfers for other rights paid by the Ministry of Labour, the Family, Social Affairs and Equal Opportunities are also expected to be rejected," the ministry added in a press release.

The ministry is looking for a solution for the rejected transfers to be re-transferred and is compiling a list of all Sberbank clients, who would be notified by social work centres to report a new transaction account.

The business newspaper Finance has meanwhile reported that the Pension and Disability Insurance Institute (ZPIZ) has managed to transfer pensions to 4,273 pensioners who hold an account in Sberbank.

Finance has also reported that the clients of Sberbank who are employed in state administration have already been urged to open a transaction account in another bank by Friday so that they could receive their wages.

According to the newspaper, such a recommendation has also been issued by some private employers.

The Slovenian central bank said today that, as a consequence of sanctions against Russia, the operation of Sberbank in Slovenia had been temporarily limited to card transactions.

Other services will be unavailable at least until Wednesday, and branch offices closed. Withdrawals and payments are limited to EUR 400 per day.

Slovenia'a Sberbank announced that "in light of recent geopolitical events", a significant outflow of client funds had been recorded in a very short time.

It added that the limited operation was a temporary and "rather drastic measure" that was aimed at protecting the interests of clients and employees from possible additional effects of existing and new sanctions.

Gorenjska Banka Halts Takeover of Sberbank Slovenija

STA, 28 February 2022 - It is not viable to proceed with the acquisition of the Slovenian subsidiary of Sberbank in the current situation, Gorenjska Banka said on Monday after the former's operation was limited in the wake of sanctions against Russia. Gorenjska Banka noted it had not assumed any contractual obligations in the acquisition process so far.

Gorenjska Banka, the Slovenian bank owned by the Serbian AIK Banka, signed an agreement to acquire the Slovenian subsidiary of Russia's Sberbank in November last year.

The appropriate way to salvage the subsidiary to ensure smooth operations for its clients will be determined by Slovenia's central bank, a press release from Gorenjska Banka reads.

Gorenjska Banka meanwhile continues to operate as an independent, autonomous banking institution, ensuring the safety and reliability of banking services both domestically and internationally, the release adds.

Under last year's deal, Gorenjska Banka, AIK and the AEC group - the umbrella holding company of the business system of Serbian businessman Miodrag Kostić - also agreed with the Russian owners to acquire another five Sberbank subsidiaries in the region, including in Serbia, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Croatia and Hungary.

Sberbank has been present in Slovenia for ten years and is the ninth largest bank in the country. The Slovenian subsidiary posted a pre-tax profit of EUR 1.12 million at the end of 2020. The bank's capital adequacy ratio was 19.8% and it had a balance sheet total of EUR 1.84 billion.

It is the successor of Volksbank, which had been present in Slovenia since 1993. It moved from Austrian ownership to Russian ownership in 2012, and until recent developments, it was expected that its new owners would come from Serbia.

STA, 28 February 2022 - As a consequence of sanctions against Russia, the operation of the Russian bank Sberbank in Slovenia has been temporarily limited to card transactions, the central bank announced on Monday. Other services will be unavailable until Wednesday, and branch offices closed. Withdrawals and payments are limited to EUR 400 per day.

This comes as the European Central Bank (ECB) said that the Sberbank Europe group, including its branches in Slovenia and Croatia, would "fail or is likely to fail", as it would probably not be able to settle its liabilities on time due to deteriorating liquidity.

Banka Slovenije said in a press release that a decision was made on Sunday at the level of the ECB and the Single Resolution Board to suspend the operations of Sberbank Europe, which has a subsidiary in Slovenia.

A transitional period. i.e. short-term moratorium has been adopted, during which a "quick and constructive solution will be found for the Slovenian subsidiary" in order to ensure uninterrupted operation for all its clients, the central bank added.

"For the clients of the Slovenian Sberbank, this means that the bank's operations will be limited to payment card operations from Monday to Wednesday morning. Other services will be temporarily unavailable and branch offices will be closed. During this time, we will find an appropriate way to salvage the bank."

The press release adds that Sberbank was the only bank in the Slovenian banking system that is Russian-owned, while all other banks operated as usual.

The Slovenian branch of Sberbank announced today that "in light of recent geopolitical events" a significant outflow of client funds had been recorded in a very short time.

It added that the limited operation was a temporary and "rather drastic measure" that was aimed at protecting the interests of clients and employees from possible additional effects of existing and new sanctions.

"With this measure, we will limit the excessive outflow of deposits from the bank. A sudden high outflow of deposits would have an even more negative impact on the bank's current operations," the bank said, adding that payment orders would not be executed in the next two days.

The bank noted that it was a Slovenian bank that operated in the local market, that it was regulated by Banka Slovenije and that it did most of its business with Slovenian clients.

Finance Minister Andrej Šircelj commented on the developments by saying that, in addition to sanctions, solutions had been adopted to ensure the security of savers in Sberbank. He noted that savings were safe.

"The security of savings is guaranteed by the Deposit Guarantee Fund, to which banks pay regular annual contributions, and the state budget. In addition, savings of up to EUR 100,000 are secured by state guarantees. This also applies to Sberbank," he added.

Sberbank has been present in Slovenia for 10 years and is currently the ninth largest bank in Slovenia in terms of total assets.

Gorenjska Banka, the Slovenian bank owned by the Serbian AIK Banka, signed a deal to acquire the Slovenian subsidiary of Sberbank last November, but the transaction is now uncertain due to the sanctions against Russia.

Slovenia's Sberbank recorded EUR 1.12 million in pre-tax profit in 2020, and its capital adequacy was 19.8%. Total assets amounted to EUR 1.84 billion.

At the end of 2020, the bank held EUR 1.34 billion in deposits by non-bank clients, of which deposits by individuals amounted to EUR 484 million. Loans to households amounted to EUR 446.69 million, and loans to companies to EUR 755.42 million.

It employed 388 people in the network of 12 branch offices in Ljubljana, Maribor, Koper, Kranj, Celje, Šentjur, Šentjernej and Tepanje, and in the micro entrepreneurship financing centre in Ljubljana.

STA, 27 February 2022 - Slovenia has the capacity to accommodate between 180,000 and 200,000 refugees from Ukraine, Interior Minister Aleš Hojs said on Sunday. "At least this is what we have discussed in the past few days," he told the press after an informal session of the EU's interior ministers on Sunday.

Hojs noted that the figure is based on experience from the Yugoslav wars in the early 1990s, when Slovenia hosted more than 300,000 refugees from the Yugoslav republics.

The minister later clarified on Twitter that such a high figure would only be possible in the event of a "complete exodus from Ukraine, which is not likely."

Realistically, the actual number will therefore be "lower by a factor of ten or more" and would be determined in agreement with other EU members.

Slovenia has expressed willingness to take in Ukrainian refugees since the start of the Russian invasion but had not put forward any specific figures.

Hojs said Slovenia would "take care of them to the best of our abilities" given that they come from the immediate neighbourhood.

The government today activated emergency phone numbers where those interested in offering assistance can turn. It expects several dozen calls in the first hours, whereupon the number could rise significantly.

European Commission figures show more than 300,000 Ukrainian refugees have already entered the EU, the majority entering through Poland.

At the meeting Slovenia also endorsed the first ever activation of the 2001 directive on temporary protection in the event of a mass influx of displaced persons.

While the directive is slightly outdated, its activation is exceptionally important and Slovenia has already initiated all activities associated with this directive such as preparing accommodation for refugees, Hojs said.

One thing the directive makes possible is to relocate refugees between member states. The ministers did not discuss specific figures today but Hojs said this would "not be problematic for Slovenia" since it is willing to accept significantly more refugees than an EU deal would require.

The minister also called for stricter visa sanctions against Russia. "Until each individual Russian citizen feels what a mad president they have, a mass movement against the authoritarian system will not have arisen.

Another issue on the agenda today was the risk of hybrid attacks. Slovenia has so far not detected major hybrid threats but Hojs said all the competent services were fully prepared to prevent attacks on Slovenian infrastructure to the maximum possible extent.

Asked whether Slovenia was also willing to supply arms to Ukraine, the minister said the government had already adopted a decree to that effect but this was confidential information that the public was not privy to.

STA, 25 February 2022 - As the EU adopted on Friday a second package of sanctions against Russia for invading Ukraine, which target key sectors of its economy and include sanctions against President Vladimir Putin and FM Sergey Lavrov, Slovenian FM Anže Logar said this was the "strictest package of sanctions" that the bloc had ever adopted.

A new package of measures was adopted that will "significantly affect both the Russian economy and oligarchs and individuals who have participated in the aggression," Logar said after an emergency session of the EU foreign ministers in Brussels.

The package includes both individual and sectoral measures, and is "the strictest package of sanctions the EU has ever adopted against any country," the foreign minister added in the video statement for Slovenian journalists.

At the in-person meeting, the EU foreign ministers formally approved the new package of sanctions against Russia that covers the financial sector, energy and transport, dual-use goods, control and financing of exports and visa policy.

Several Russian individuals have been added to the list of persons who are banned from travelling to the EU whose assets in the EU are frozen.

The list now includes President Putin and FM Lavrov in terms of the freezing of assets in the EU. This was endorsed by all member states, Logar said, adding that it was possible that family members were included in the next round of sanctions.

The second package of sanctions was agreed by the EU leaders at an emergency meeting in Brussels on Thursday. It does not include the possibility of excluding Russia from the Swift payment system, which has been advocated by Ukraine.

Logar said that this had been discussed at length today, adding that the opposition to this measure was getting weaker.

"Several countries said they were aware of the consequences of this measure for their economy, but were nevertheless prepared to accept this damage given the importance of this historical event," he added.

The foreign minister said that "an even stricter package, with an even greater impact on the Russian economy", was being coordinated, and that talks to this end would continue in the coming days.

If a consensus is reached, the third package will include Swift - unless it is established that the international community can cause even more serious economic consequences for Russia in some other way, he added.

"Slovenia supports strict sanctions that have a deterring effect and that make it clear that such acts are unacceptable," said Logar in reference to Russia's invasion of Ukraine.

PM Janez Janša meanwhile attended a virtual NATO summit at which it was decided that the alliance will deploy its rapid response forces on its eastern flank in what will be the first deployment of these forces for the purpose of joint defence.

Janša said on Facebook on the occasion that a decision would be made in the next few days about what Europe would be like in the future. "Only a victory of Ukraine and Putin's defeat can prevent a long period of new Cold War," he added.

According to Janša, three things should be done in order to truly help Ukraine and "win the war for Europe".

"NATO should close the airspace over Ukraine and deprive the Russian aggressor army of its strategic advantage, the EU should provide Ukraine with membership prospect and the democratic world should isolate Putin's regime with sanctions," he said.

STA, 24 February 2022 - Slovenia has condemned in the strongest terms the Russian attack on Ukraine, with Prime Minister Janez Janša saying it was unprecedented military aggression against the country and President Borut Pahor calling it a grave violation of international law and UN principles of peaceful resolution of disputes.

"Together with our @NATO and #EU allies we strongly condemn Russia's unprecedented military aggression against Ukraine. Russia must immediately withdraw its military and fully respect Ukraine's territorial integrity," Janša said on Twitter on Thursday.

"Introduce a no-fly zone over Ukraine. Respect Obligations from Budapest Memorandum 1994," he wrote in another tweet, adding the hashtag #StandWithUkraine, in what is the Slovenian prime minister's response to Russia's full-scale invasion of Ukraine, which was launched today.

Janša later warned that "many nations will now try to develop their own nuclear arsenal" in the light of the events in Ukraine that constitute a violation of the Budapest Memorandum. "The world just crossed to hot hybrid war with unprecedented consequences."

In the afternoon, the Slovenian prime minister spoke with his Ukrainian counterpart Denys Shmyhal on the phone.

Predsednik vlade ?? @JJansaSDS je danes opravil telefonski pogovor z ukrajinskim predsednikom vlade ?? @Denys_Shmyhal. pic.twitter.com/5RVA09bfIo

— Vlada Republike Slovenije (@vladaRS) February 24, 2022

Janša tweeted that they had discussed "the situation after the Russian aggression, which is aimed at beheading the Ukrainian state and establishing a puppet government."

"But Ukraine is fighting and needs all our help. The battle for Ukraine is a battle for the EU," the prime minister added.

As a sign of solidarity with Ukraine, the country's flag was hoisted on the building housing the Government Palace and the Presidential Palace.

Ukrainian flags ?? hung in solidarity on government buildings in Slovenia.#StandWithUkriane ?? ?? pic.twitter.com/kM4LovgZaf

— Janez Janša (@JJansaSDS) February 24, 2022

Janša is expected to attend today's emergency EU summit on the Ukraine crisis in Brussels. His flight to Ukraine, which had been announced yesterday before the situation further escalated, has been cancelled, according to the Slovenian Armed Forces.

President Pahor also took to Twitter to "condemn in the most resolute terms the Russian aggression on Ukraine."

He added that it was a "severe violation of international law and the UN principles of peaceful resolution of disputes", and that Slovenia expressed solidarity with the citizens of Ukraine.

In a statement for TV Slovenija, Pahor said that, by recognising two self-proclaimed independent regions in Ukraine, and in particular by launching a military attack on Ukraine, Russia violated international order and undermined European and international security.

He called on Russian President Vladimir Putin and Russia to immediately terminate the hostile activities, suspend the use of military force and give diplomacy a chance.

"Putin can establish mutual trust only if he immediately stops military operations and give dialogue a chance," Pahor said.

The president expressed the concern that this hostility and aggression could spill over from Ukraine to Moldova and Georgia all they way to the Western Balkans.

Parliamentary Speaker Igor Zorčič also resolutely condemned the attack, writing on Twitter that it was an unlawful, unjustified and reprehensible act. He added that the EU must remain united and make every effort to achieve a ceasefire.

The government meanwhile held a closed-door meeting to discuss the situation in the wake of "Russia's aggression against Ukraine", Janša later announced on Twitter. It also took decisions to confirm the current NATO measures and to activate the required standby services. Janša added that the decisions would be presented to the parliamentary defence and foreign policy committees as soon as possible.

Before Russian President Vladimir Putin announced the military operation in Ukraine, during Wednesday's United Nations General Assembly debate on the situation in question, Slovenia strongly condemned Putin's decision to recognise the non-government controlled Ukrainian regions of Donetsk and Luhansk and deploy troops in the two regions.

Slovenian diplomat Miha Erman presented Slovenia's opinion on behalf of Slovenian Ambassador to UN Boštjan Malovrh, who chaired the General Assembly session. Erman said that Slovenia endorsed the EU's statement on the matter and welcomed the debate.

"These illegal actions undermine Ukraine's sovereignty and independence and constitute a grave violation of international law and international agreements, including the UN Charter and its main principles, and the Budapest Memorandum and the Minsk agreements," Erman said, adding that Ukraine's sovereignty and territorial integrity must be respected and preserved.

Erman also noted the difficult humanitarian situation and said that Slovenia urged an unrestricted access to humanitarian aid for Ukraine. It is also very concerned about the many victims of landmines on both sides and human rights violations and abuses in Crimea, especially against Tatars, Ukrainians and minorities.

STA, 24 February 2022 - Slovenian Prime Minister Janez Janša and his Polish counterpart Mateusz Morawiecki called for Ukraine's EU accession by 2030 in a letter to the president of the European Council and their EU counterparts in the face of Russia's aggression in Ukraine. They urged prompt and brave decisions in what they termed as "battle for Europe".

In the joint letter to European Council President Charles Michel and leaders of EU countries ahead of the EU summit on the Ukraine crisis they said Ukraine should get the status of a candidate for EU membership as soon as possible and become a member in 2030 after meeting all the conditions.

The EU must be strong and united in the face of Russia's threat, introduce immediate sanctions but also "go much further", reads the letter seen by the STA on Wednesday.

The European Council would need to strategically assess the situation and take brave political decisions, they noted.

"We need to prepare an ambitious and tangible plan for rapid integration of Ukraine into the EU by 2030." The pair believe the same plan is needed also for Georgia, Moldova and Western Balkan countries.

The plan must be specific, with clearly defined steps, timeline and a membership guarantee by 2030 provided that all conditions are met.

The first phase must be a decision on immediate recognition of a European perspective for Ukraine and then Ukraine must obtain the status of an EU candidate country as soon as it requests for membership.

The fact that Ukraine at the moment does not control all of its territory must not be an argument against its EU accession. The EU has already shown how such situations should be tackled, Janša and Morawiecki said.

They did admit though that supporting Ukrainian EU accession would require substantial financial means.

However, this process can only have positive effects, as it would be in line with the EU's fundamental historic mission and its values and principles, while it would also give hope and motivation to Ukrainian people in defending their homeland, sovereignty and democracy.

As regards the effect that such a plan would have on relations with Russia, the two prime ministers stressed that the process of European integration was not directed against anyone and was in no way a threat to Russia.

The EU with new members would remain open to cooperation with the Russian people and if the Russian side agreed, to building the strategic partnership that was once set as a goal.

"It is time for swift and brave decisions. A battle for Europe is under way. History of the last two decades teaches us that if the EU does not expand, someone else does. Now we are paying the price of ignoring this."

The pair said that unless the EU learned from this, the cost of ignorance would only increase in the future.

STA, 23 February 2022 - Slovenian Prime Minister Janez Janša will be visiting Ukraine on Thursday and Friday for meetings with his counterpart Denys Shmyhal and President Volodymyr Zelenskyy, his office has announced.

Janša first announced his upcoming visit to Kyiv after speaking with Shmyhal on the phone earlier this month.

The visit aims for Slovenia to support Ukraine's European and Euro-Atlantic perspective and to reaffirm Slovenia's commitment to Ukraine's territorial integrity and sovereignty within its internationally recognised borders, the PM's office said.

It added that the visit would also be an opportunity to enhance dialogue and deepen relations between the two countries.

"Slovenia supports territorial integrity and independence of Ukraine and advocates de-escalation and peaceful resolution of the conflict in the east of the country. It also supports Ukraine's efforts to adopt the standards of Euro-Atlantic integrations, and calls for progress in particular in the fight against corruption, the rule of law and independence of the judiciary," reads the release.

The office noted the positive dynamics in bilateral trade, identifying the potential to enhance cooperation in the pharmaceutical industry, agriculture, digitalisation, energy efficiency and environmental solutions.

Data from the site www.izvoznookno.si, operated by the investment promotion agency SPIRIT, shows the volume of goods trade between Slovenia and Ukraine in the first eleven months of 2021 was close to EUR 283 million, of which EUR 219 million was Slovenia's exports. In the whole of 2020 trade amounted to EUR 260 million.

Almost half of Slovenia's exports to Ukraine last year was pharmaceutical products. The bulk of imports were wood, wooden products and charcoal.

The prime minister's office said the visit would also be an opportunity to review cooperation in development and humanitarian aid. On the occasion Slovenia will deliver material aid to the country.

The government on Monday approved a shipment of EUR 163,000 worth of sleeping bags, rubber boots, diesel generators, gloves and face masks to Ukraine in response to the country's appeal for help.

The situation in the country is tense after Russia on Monday recognised the independence of the self-styled republics of Donetsk and Luhansk in the east of the country. There are concerns about the possibility of a broader Russian invasion on Ukraine.

Condemning Russia's recognition of the two separatist regions, Janša said the EU should offer Ukraine the prospect of full membership.

"The recognition of the two separatist territories in Ukraine is a blatant violation of international law, the Budapest and Minsk agreements. Slovenia condemns this illegal move. The EU has to offer Ukraine full membership perspective," Janša said on his Twitter profile in the wake of Russia's move.

Several Western officials visited Kyiv in recent weeks to support Ukraine and a diplomatic solution to the crisis, including French President Emmanuel Macron and German Chancellor Olaf Scholz. The pair have also visited Moscow. Foreign ministers of the Baltic countries are expected in Kyiv on Thursday.

STA, 22 February 2022 - Slovenian members of the European parliament have condemned Russia's recognition of the separatist regions of Donetsk and Luhansk in eastern Ukraine as independent, which they see as a violation of Ukraine's territorial integrity and sovereignty and a threat to peace.

"What many of us feared has now happened. This is a violation of international agreements by Putin and a threat to world peace. I therefore condemn Russian aggression," MEP Franc Bogovič (EPP/SLS) wrote on Twitter.

"The violation of the sovereignty of Ukrainian territory will unfortunately shatter the fragile peace seen in Ukraine over the past couple of years," he added as he shared PM Janez Janša's tweet, which also condemned Russia's actions.

MEP Ljudmila Novak (EPP/NSi) also saw the prospect of violation of Ukraine's territorial integrity as unacceptable. "The European Parliament firmly rejects any attempts to weaken or undermine the principles of security in Europe," she tweeted.

MEP Romana Tomc (EPP/SDS) added that the response to what is happening in Ukraine will show "whether the EU is capable of doing more than passing empty resolutions and awarding prizes to Russian dissidents. Time is running out".

Her party colleague Milan Zver noted that Russia "severely violates international law and territorial integrity of Ukraine" and added that the "EU must react in unison and quickly with strict and targeted sanctions against Russia."

In the opinion of MEP Milan Brglez (S&D/SD), "the situation is too serious to point fingers, let alone weapons". The only possible response is for the EU to lead in a decisive manner with the aim of de-escalating the situation and reaffirming the principles of the Helsinki Final Act, he said.

Brglez's party colleague Tanja Fajon also warned that Russia's decision was "a violation of Ukraine's territorial integrity, a flagrant violation of international law and the Minsk agreements".

A joint response was issued by Klemen Grošelj and Irena Joveva (Renew/LMŠ), who expressed their expectations that the EU will adopt "an appropriate and credible set of joint measures against Russia, including sanctions".

However, they hope that all diplomatic means have not yet been exhausted. "We call on the EU to stand united and to prepare for a long-term solution to the biggest security crisis in Europe since the end of WWII, which will affect us all," they wrote.

The reactions from the European Parliament followed Monday's announcements by Russian President Vladimir Putin, who recognised Donetsk and Luhansk as independent entities and ordered the deployment of the Russian army to the regions "to ensure peace".