Speaker 1: Bloomberg Audio Studios, podcasts, radio news not to mention.
Speaker 2: What is happening in Ukraine and throughout Europe right now.
Speaker 2: President Trump has been speaking quite a bit about this recently,
Speaker 2: with a new security plan and a new peace proposal
Speaker 2: for Ukraine. We find the headline on the terminal before
Speaker 2: we spend some time with the Foreign Minister of Slovenia.
Speaker 2: Trump gives Zelensky days to respond to a peace proposal.
Speaker 2: This is the plan that has been hashed out with
Speaker 2: Steve Whitcoff, Jared Kushner, and to a lesser extent, the
Speaker 2: Secretary of State Marco Rubio. Over the past couple of weeks.
Speaker 2: Trump's envoys, according to the Financial Times, have given Zelensky
Speaker 2: only days to respond to a proposed peace deal, the
Speaker 2: President saying just on Sunday evening at the Kennedy Center
Speaker 2: that he was disappointed President Zelensky hadn't even read the
Speaker 2: proposal yet, because there are great concerns that this proposal
Speaker 2: favors Russia and would force you to give up part
Speaker 2: of its sovereign territory. Bigger questions about President Trump's view
Speaker 2: of our allies in Europe. He was asked about this
Speaker 2: in his sit down interview with Politico.
Speaker 1: Listen.
Speaker 3: I think they're weak, but I also think that they
Speaker 3: want to be so politically correct. I think they don't
Speaker 3: know what to do. Europe doesn't know what to do.
Speaker 3: They don't know what to do on trade either. I mean,
Speaker 3: I look at a lot of the trade situation that's
Speaker 3: going on over there. It's a little bit dangerous.
Speaker 2: That's where we start our conversation with the Minister of
Speaker 2: Foreign and European Affairs the Republic of Slovenia, Tanya Fayone,
Speaker 2: with us live from World Headquarters in New York. Minister,
Speaker 2: Welcome to Bloomberg TV and Radio. It's great to have
Speaker 2: you with us. As part of our conversation, we'll start
Speaker 2: broadly here. And the president's remarks about Europe, is he
Speaker 2: missing something that you wish he knew?
Speaker 1: First, thank you for inviting me. We just held a
Speaker 1: very good discussion in the Security Council in Ukraine which
Speaker 1: was at points quite emotional and rightly so. We are
Speaker 1: observing the fourth year of brutal Russian aggression in Ukraine
Speaker 1: with a lot of civilian that's a lot of children,
Speaker 1: that's destroyed energy infrastructure and severe violations of international law
Speaker 1: and the UN Charter. So everyone including Ukrainians, want to
Speaker 1: see just and lasting peace, and everyone in the Security
Speaker 1: Council fourteen countries are permanently calling for an immediate and
Speaker 1: unconditional ceasefire. So I think it is very clear that
Speaker 1: is Russia we want to see peace, and we want
Speaker 1: to see just lasting peace. That means that the peace
Speaker 1: is also acceptable for Ukraine.
Speaker 2: Yeah, well we should note, and I appreciate your answer,
Speaker 2: that Slovenia currently holds the presidency at the UN Security Council,
Speaker 2: so your views are important here. Do you worry that
Speaker 2: this plan on the table now favors Russia and would
Speaker 2: hurt Ukraine and therefore the rest of Europe.
Speaker 1: I mean the negotiations are ongoing, and I of course
Speaker 1: command the US administration, Trump and everyone involved, because it
Speaker 1: is good that there is a time also for a diplomacy,
Speaker 1: for searching for political solution instead of a military one.
Speaker 1: Of course, first is as I said before, immediate and
Speaker 1: urgent ceasefire needed, and then meaningful negotiations. Ukraine has to
Speaker 1: be at the table, Europe has to be at the table.
Speaker 1: We are discussing about strong security guarantees for the countries
Speaker 1: that something like similar wouldn't happen again in the future.
Speaker 1: And it's also about accountability. It is a brutal war
Speaker 1: that is ongoing. We see really horrible acts. I was
Speaker 1: traveling myself not long ago in Ukraine in several parts
Speaker 1: of the country. When you see young people, children being
Speaker 1: computated without lex without arms, I mean, these are wars victims.
Speaker 1: So we do have to all do more. And I
Speaker 1: encourage the diplomacy to work, and I encourage all sites
Speaker 1: to be equally engaged, especially Ukraine, because Ukraine is deciding
Speaker 1: about its own future. We speak about territorial sovereignty and integrity.
Speaker 1: No one by force can change the internationally recognized borders.
Speaker 2: You know, when you consider the idea of this peace
Speaker 2: plan being accepted within days, the FT is reporting that
Speaker 2: that timeline is keing off President Trump's hope to have
Speaker 2: a peace deal in place, a deal agreed to buy
Speaker 2: Christmas Minister. Is that possible?
Speaker 1: I mean I wish to see that it is possible.
Speaker 1: I think we all wish to see a just and
Speaker 1: lasting piece for Ukraine and a peace agreement. But this
Speaker 1: is a question mostly for those that are sitting at
Speaker 1: the table. I speak mostly here about President Zelenski. He's
Speaker 1: speaking about the state and about the future of his state.
Speaker 1: That's why I say it's very important that everyone is
Speaker 1: at the table, that the dialogue is going. But still
Speaker 1: as long as there are bombings every day, I don't
Speaker 1: see it's a good way to find the meaningful negotiations.
Speaker 1: So yes, I do comment the efforts of Trump and
Speaker 1: administration because we start talking and Europeans, but it is
Speaker 1: clear how these talks should be conducted meaningful way and
Speaker 1: based on an international law and a UN charter.
Speaker 2: Minister Feoon. President Trump sat for an extended interview with
Speaker 2: Politico and was asked about these negotiations. I'd like you
Speaker 2: to hear what he said, and we'll have your respond.
Speaker 3: Listen.
Speaker 2: Which country right now is in a stronger negotiating position.
Speaker 3: Well, there can be no question about it. It's Russia.
Speaker 3: It's a much bigger country. Zelenski rejects this deal.
Speaker 1: Is there a timeline? Is there a point at which.
Speaker 3: You say, well, he's going to have to get on
Speaker 3: the ball and start accepting things. You know, when you're losing.
Speaker 3: Is it losing Ukraine.
Speaker 1: Has do you think Ukraine has lost this war?
Speaker 3: Well, they've lost territory. Long before I got here, they
Speaker 3: lost the whole strip of Seafront, Big Seafront.
Speaker 2: Minister Faion, and I'll ask you the same question. Do
Speaker 2: you believe Ukraine is losing this war?
Speaker 1: I think Ukraine has high moral and it's quite an
Speaker 1: inspiration to see people fighting for their own territory and
Speaker 1: the country. As I said before, no one and I
Speaker 1: will repeat it, no one can buy force simply take
Speaker 1: your land away. We had our own history in former Yugoslavia,
Speaker 1: and that is why I say it's all about territorial
Speaker 1: sovereignity and integrity. If that is meaningful negotiations the cease fire,
Speaker 1: it has to be respected and negotiated. So I do
Speaker 1: hope that the president's putting Zelenski a Trump will sit
Speaker 1: down and find a solution that is acceptable for peace,
Speaker 1: for security and for the future of Ukraine.
Speaker 2: Well, you're remind us Europeans have long memories, and I wonder,
Speaker 2: even if we have a peace deal with signatures on
Speaker 2: the table and a security guarantee, does history suggest you
Speaker 2: can trust Vladimir Putin with a deal.
Speaker 1: I mean, we are this year in eighties, year of
Speaker 1: anniversary of United Nations. Eight years ago our leaders committed
Speaker 1: to values of securing collective peace and security for our
Speaker 1: citizens around the world. I think this is a good
Speaker 1: moment to reflect ourselves where is our responsibility and maybe
Speaker 1: to recommit to these values. I think we live in
Speaker 1: times of this terrible geo political terriblions with too many
Speaker 1: armed conflicts indoors, and we need to protect civilians, and
Speaker 1: I think this is our really more, if nothing else, responsibility.
Speaker 2: If Vladimir Zelenski gives up the Dunbas, gives up territorial
Speaker 2: gains that Russia has made, minister in our remaining moment,
Speaker 2: what will that mean for the rest of Europe.
Speaker 1: You don't expect a time very prejudge the negotiations and
Speaker 1: the end result. I think this is up to President
Speaker 1: Zelenski for the talks about what is acceptable and negotiable
Speaker 1: for Ukraine that is clearly the victim of this war.
Speaker 2: I'm really glad you could join us today and I
Speaker 2: appreciate your coming to see us at our headquarters in
Speaker 2: New York. Minister, thank you. Tanya Fayon, Minister of Foreign
Speaker 2: and European Affairs, the Republic of Slovenia, and a conversation
Speaker 2: you will not hear anywhere else today