Prime Minister Janez Janša: Ukraine deserves a European perspective

11. 3. 2022

Former Prime Minister Janez Janša (2020 - 2022)

After yesterday’s meeting of European leaders in Versailles to discuss the situation in Ukraine, Prime Minister Janez Janša said that the informal summit lasted so long because many important decisions needed to be taken. "The Versailles Declaration and the declaration on the Russian invasion of Ukraine are something that must be debated, while at the same time, appropriate political guidance for the European institutions and the Member States should be found," stressed the Prime Minister, adding that it was the leaders’ debate about Ukraine’s membership of the EU that took the most time.

Slovenian Prime Minister Janez Janša also pointed out that in the debate, the leaders were divided into a majority who thought that there was a war in Ukraine and that Ukrainians were fighting for their lives and needed a strong political message that they belong to the EU family and others who were still discussing procedures.

In view of the above, Prime Minister Janez Janša expressed his hope that Ukraine would be granted candidate status, but he stressed the need to wait for the opinion of the Commission. He highlighted that, after a long discussion, the leaders were, however, largely united not only as regards Ukraine’s deserving a European perspective, as it is already a European country, but also that it deserved a future within the EU.