Peace in Europe is a great wedding of peace in the world

To our memory of the beginnings of resistance against the occupierinspired by the establishment of the Liberation Front of the Slovenian nation, and at the ceremony marking the eightieth anniversary of the magnificent victory of democratic allies in the Second World War, of which we were also Slovenes, the dark shadows of wars lie.

With anything justifiable Russian aggression on Ukraine, she turned into the third year. The rampage of Israel’s Soldateska with unimaginable crimes and genocide has turned into another. The language of the war erupted the rumor of peace. European statesmen, as before the Great War, are letting go of a stream that can lead to a possible new World War, worse than all so far.

Now that the US is closing a security umbrella over Europe, when the period of self -explanatory political and defense alliance between Europe and the US has ended, talking about war as a real threat to Europe has increased. It is as if our European community has turned his back to Míru. The requirements for increasing money « for resistance and defense » are strengthened, as they call it. In fact, these are requests for the purchase and production of weapons, for armaments. But the accumulation of the savings weapon will bring to Europe neither peace nor stability. Overnight, the suggestions published overnight on how people should provide supplies for a few days of survival, should calm them down, but in reality they bring fear of war and uncertainty where European politicians lead us.

It is true in the current world, full of contradictions, many reasons that require us to be better prepared, starting with the consequences of climate change, floods, fires, drought. Even with wars, which, unfortunately, are too often becoming a way of resolving disputes between countries. All this has to be responsible for preparing their citizens and making sure that they can survive.

Slovenians have a good experience with this kind of preparation, we just have to rely on them, without fear of the misuse of political continuity. What is good is worth maintaining and adapting to new conditions.

Our government of the current NATO and EU requirements, after strengthening defense and resilience, understands more broadly, not just as a purchase of weapons. It is worth and necessary to support it. If the rifle is not in the hands of a person who knows how to use it, why and against anyone, it remains a dead, useless object. This fact speaks in favor of urgency after defense and protective training of citizens. These will be carriers of hazard and elimination of their consequences. Our territorial defense, which linked all central threads of resistance, from militia to civil protection, and successfully discard the aggression of the Yugoslav Army, is a good starting point for finding the right solutions. Only an army who has a solid base and alliances in his people, whose military -trained part is able to be successful in defense. There are several ways to train. And we have an experience with that.

We live in a time of major change. The motto, born on the ruins of humanity and ethics, « never again, » became empty slogans. The system of international law and the institutions to protect it is rough and almost irreversably demolished, as if there are no more tools that can regulate relationships. Therefore, it seems that relationships in the world are only regulated by a rough, ruthless power. Even in Europe.

Yet, our continent has an effective guardian of peace in an almost forgotten conference on European security and cooperation. It was created during the Cold War precisely in order to imagine security assurances to Europeans and prevent a clash that could lead to an atomic war. That is why leading statesmen in Slovenia and the EU should still be required today to strengthen and use the mechanisms and tools of both conferences of the time and its successors of the Safety and Cooperation Organization in Europe to update and use these mechanisms when looking for solutions to end the war in Ukraine.

Sooner or later this war will end. Not only Ukraine, which is increasingly destroyed by the state, will lose it, it will be lost by Europe, everyone. Because we didn’t know or want to prevent her. Since we did not want to get into the position of both hostile countries, ask for the causes of hostility and find common development paths in the interest of all. And sooner or later, it will be necessary to admit openly that now, after the implementation of Trump’s understanding of the transatlantic alliance, Europe is paying a tax for unwillingness to regulate its relations with Russia. This one will remain a neighbor of Europe even after this war is over, even after Putin is gone. Will Russia even then be the biggest security challenge for Europe, as is now heard from Brussels and some European capitals, or nevertheless a neighbor with whom it is necessary to have relationships? There is no ocean between Europe and Russia. Sooner or later, Russia will be aware of this. She, too, cannot live from wars and unrealistic imperial ambitions.

Peace in Europe is a great marriage of peace in the world. This is a challenge that is still awaiting Europe. Now certainly more up -to -date than ever. Deservive and sensitive but necessary. Because of the peace and safety of European people. Because of our common future. It is not unreasonable to ask EU countries to consider right now how to establish a new long -term European security architecture that will express the strategic interests of European countries for their more active role in regulating these relations and an active role in the world.

This is a demanding task for our generation and the current European political elite. All this would be irresponsible to leave the tragic heritage of hostility to our successors.

I’m not black -eyed about the future. The only question is how much it is, the way we want it. Slovenians have an experience from two great wars and with a war, directed against our decision to live in our country. As a small nation in the transaction of the great interests, we existed because we were brave because we knew we were defending ours and no one else would do it instead. And because we understood which is the right side of history. This was always on the side of cooperation, mutual respect and joint development. Never on the side of the wars. They were all forced to us. The right side was on the side of peace.

It is worth fighting for him. Slovenian partisans fought for him. For peace. When peace is, the future is possible. Just as we sought to resist in 1941 and in 1991, and there is no reason not to stand for it today.

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Milan Kucan, first president of the Republic of Slovenia.

The article is the opinion of the author and does not necessarily express the views of the editorial board.