Slovenia first in EU to ban arms trade with Israel
Illustrative photo: soldiers in Israel (Getty Images)
Slovenia has become the first European Union country to completely ban arms trade with Israel. The country is trying to put pressure on the Israeli government over the war in the Gaza Strip, Bloomberg reports.
This refers to a ban on the import, export, and transit of weapons to and from Israel.
The decision was announced by Slovenian Prime Minister Robert Golob. He noted that Palestinians are "dying because humanitarian aid is systematically denied them" and added that Israel's actions constitute serious violations of international law.
According to Golob, Slovenia can no longer wait for decisions from the EU, which remains divided in its approach to the conflict:
"It is the duty of every responsible state to take action, even if it means taking a step before others," the agency quotes the prime minister.
This is not the first time Slovenia has taken decisive action against Israel. Last month, the country was the first in the EU to declare National Security Minister Itamar Ben-Gvir and Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich persona non grata, with the Netherlands later joining in.
Slovenia recognized Palestine as an independent state in 2024, following Spain, Ireland, and Norway.
Recognition of Palestine
Earlier, British Prime Minister Keir Starmer said that the United Kingdom would recognize Palestine if Israel did not end the war in the Gaza Strip by September.
At the same time, the head of the British government stressed that Hamas militants must release all hostages and sign a ceasefire agreement.
France has also initiated the creation of a coalition in support of the official recognition of the Palestinian state. 15 countries have already joined it.
Meanwhile, the US has reacted sharply to the UK and France's plans to recognize Palestine.
For more details on why the West has begun talking about recognizing Palestine as an independent state, read the article by RBC-Ukraine.
