Statement by the Republic of Slovenia at the briefing on the threats to international peace and security

I shall now make a statement in my capacity as the representative of Slovenia.

I wish to thank USG Nakamitsu for her briefing.

I would like to make a couple of points on behalf of my delegation:

Firstly, Slovenia is gravely concerned with the degree to which this war has escalated. It has now being fought on multiple fronts and reports of violations of neighbouring countries’ airspaces are becoming commonplace.

It is clear at the same time that with higher volumes and with more advanced weaponry being delivered to the battlefield, the potential for destruction is steadily increasing. And with it, the extent to which reconstruction efforts will be needed. Slovenia stands ready to take part in the efforts to remedy the destruction of the past years and make sure that a full recovery is underway.

Let me be clear however: Every country has a right to defend itself in line with Article 51 of the UN Charter and procure the necessary means to do so. We will not accept victim-blaming. You cannot attack a country, occupy parts of its territory and intimidate its whole population with daily swarms of drones and ballistic missiles, and then say that their suffering is completely of their own doing, because they dared to resist.

Secondly, discussions like this have the potential to misrepresent the situation on the ground. While we are discussing weapons transfers to Ukraine, Russia is waging a war of aggression. Just yesterday, this war hit another low point, when ICRC vehicles were subject to a Russian attack, killing and wounding multiple ICRC staff members.

We are approaching the discussions on weapons transfers from the wrong end. While transfers to Ukraine are in line with the international legal framework, various reports are suggesting that Russia is replenishing its arsenal by importing missiles and artillery shells from the DPRK. This is a clear violation of multiple Security Council resolutions and presents an obvious proliferation risk.

In addition to this, Slovenia is deeply concerned with the recently emerged evidence of ballistic missiles transfers from Iran to Russia for use in the war on Ukraine. Such conduct would represent a serious development and an unacceptable act of material support to the ongoing aggression.

In conclusion, while all transfers have the potential to intensify the fighting, there is a clear distinction between military aid that supports self-defence, and weapons transfers that sustain aggression. With this in mind, my country clearly made its choice and will continue to deliver aid to Ukraine in line with international law.

I resume my function as President of the Council.

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