BELGRADE, Dec 5: Slovenian Foreign Minister Tanja Fajon has called for continued support for Ukraine, but said the situation is not yet ready for Ukraine to join NATO, the Slovenian Foreign Ministry said in a statement.
Fajon took part in a meeting of NATO foreign ministers in Brussels.
“Slovenia regrets the irresponsible nuclear rhetoric and the deployment of troops from North Korea to Russia, which creates a risk of escalation… The only response to such actions is to provide permanent support to Ukraine so that it can effectively exercise its legitimate right to self-defense,” the ministry quoted Fajon as saying.
She also commented on the intentions of the Kiev authorities to become a full member of the North Atlantic Alliance.
“I believe that the circumstances are not yet ripe for full membership,” Fajon said.
She said the question is not whether Ukraine will join NATO, the when Kiev will be ready for that.
US State Department Principal Deputy Spokesman Vedant Patel claimed in November that most of the more than 10,000 North Korean soldiers allegedly transferred to Russia were already fighting alongside Russian troops in the Kursk Region.
Russia has noted that the US has no evidence of the presence of North Korean troops in the special military operation zone.
Russian President Vladimir Putin has said that the strategic partnership agreement with North Korea contains an article on providing military assistance, but what Russia and North Korea will do within the framework of this article is a matter for the two states.
In June, Russia and North Korea signed the Treaty on Comprehensive Strategic Partnership. According to Article 4 of the agreement, should one of the parties be subjected to an armed aggression by any state or a group of states and find itself in a state of conflict, the other party shall immediately provide military and other forms of assistance with all available means in accordance with Article 51 of the UN Charter and in accordance with Russian and North Korean laws.
(UNI)
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