Ukraine and Slovenia Discussed EU Accession and the Return of Children
Zoran Stevanović, Speaker of the National Assembly of Slovenia, assured Ukraine of his support for its accession to the European Union. Ruslan Stefanchuk, Speaker of the Verkhovna Rada, announced this following a meeting with his Slovenian counterpart. The parties also discussed the return of Ukrainian children abducted by Russia.
Ukraine can count on Slovenia’s support on its path to European Union membership. This was discussed during a meeting between Ruslan Stefanchuk, Speaker of the Verkhovna Rada, and Zoran Stevanović, Speaker of the National Assembly of Slovenia. According to the Speaker of the Ukrainian Parliament, one of the main topics of the meeting was Ukraine’s European integration. Stefanchuk thanked the Slovenian side for its willingness to support Ukraine’s aspirations to become an EU member. “I am grateful for the clear assurance that we can count on Slovenia’s support on our path to EU membership,” he wrote.
Ukraine and Slovenia Discussed EU Accession
European integration remains one of the key priorities of Ukraine’s foreign policy. Kyiv continues to work on meeting the EU’s requirements necessary for progress toward membership in the bloc.
Support from member states is crucial to this process, particularly when decisions are made at the EU level. As an EU member, Slovenia can support Ukraine’s further integration with the bloc within the framework of European institutions.
At the same time, Stevanović’s statement, as reported by Stefanchuk, indicates Slovenia’s willingness to support Ukraine. The Speaker of the Verkhovna Rada did not provide any specific details regarding concrete steps or agreements reached during the meeting.
The parties raised the issue of the return of Ukrainian children
Another topic of discussion was the return of Ukrainian children whom Russia illegally took or forcibly relocated from the occupied territories. For Ukraine, the return of these children remains a top humanitarian priority. Kyiv is calling on international partners to join the search for the children, assist in their return, and facilitate their reunification with their families.
During the meeting, Stefanchuk and Stevanović also discussed this issue. However, the statement from the Speaker of the Verkhovna Rada does not provide details on specific agreements regarding Slovenia’s next steps.
Thus, the talks covered two areas of importance to Ukraine: progress toward European Union membership and the return of children whom Russia took away during the war. According to Stefanchuk, the Slovenian side confirmed its readiness to support Ukraine on its path toward Europe. Stefanchuk posted about the results of the talks on his account on the social media platform X.
The Cabinet of Ministers has completed the preparation of the documents required to receive international financial assistance in 2026. According to Prime Minister Serhiy Koretskyi, all necessary decisions were adopted by October 15. Ukraine must now submit requests to the European Commission and complete the approval procedures with EU member states.
