{"id":1178,"date":"2025-04-08T21:00:35","date_gmt":"2025-04-08T19:00:35","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/sdmo-drustvo.si\/nacionalna-varnost-in-oborozevanje-vojko-volk\/"},"modified":"2025-04-14T17:24:53","modified_gmt":"2025-04-14T15:24:53","slug":"nacionalna-varnost-in-oborozevanje-vojko-volk","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/sdmo-drustvo.si\/en\/nacionalna-varnost-in-oborozevanje-vojko-volk\/","title":{"rendered":"NATIONAL SECURITY AND ARMAMENT (Vojko Volk)"},"content":{"rendered":"<p><strong>Vojko VOLK &#8211; NATIONAL SECURITY AND ARMAMENT<\/strong><br \/>\n<strong>8 April 2025<\/strong><\/p>\n<p>Video available on YouTube (in Slovenian): <a href=\"https:\/\/youtu.be\/hm6ThTuQwq4\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">https:\/\/youtu.be\/hm6ThTuQwq4<\/a><\/p>\n<p><iframe loading=\"lazy\" title=\"SDMO - NACIONALNA VARNOST IN OBORO\u017dEVANJE (Vojko Volk)\" width=\"500\" height=\"281\" src=\"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/embed\/hm6ThTuQwq4?feature=oembed\" frameborder=\"0\" allow=\"accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture; web-share\" referrerpolicy=\"strict-origin-when-cross-origin\" allowfullscreen><\/iframe><\/p>\n<p><strong>Introduction<\/strong><br \/>\nNATIONAL SECURITY AND ARMAMENT<br \/>\nAmbassador Marjan \u0160etinc<br \/>\nApril 8, 2025<\/p>\n<p>The guest of the Slovenian Society for International Relations was Ambassador Vojko Volk, State Secretary in the Office of the Prime Minister Robert Golob, responsible for security policy. Ambassador Volk has been active in the field of Slovenia\u2019s foreign relations since the early 1990s. In 2000, he was appointed State Secretary at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs; from 2001 to 2005, he served as the Ambassador of Slovenia to Italy; from 2007 to 2008, he headed the Office for Relations between the Republic of Slovenia and the United Nations Mission in Kosovo; from 2008 to 2009, he was Charg\u00e9 d&#8217;affaires at the embassy in Pri\u0161tina; and in 2009 and 2010, he served as coordinator for the Western Balkans at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs. From 2010 to 2015, he was Ambassador to Croatia, and prior to his appointment as State Secretary in the Government Office, he was the Consul General in Trieste.<br \/>\nBy internationally comparable criteria and safety indicators, Slovenia is one of the safest countries in the world. It is safe for us, its citizens, and for those visiting Slovenia\u2014this means that state institutions function well and effectively. However, globalization and the development of new technologies demand constant adaptation and training of these institutions to meet new challenges. New technologies know no borders\u2014cyberattacks on, for example, the healthcare system, banking system, public administration, and businesses are becoming increasingly frequent.<br \/>\nAnother issue is whether worsening international relations could threaten Slovenia\u2019s security. Which also raises the question of whether the armed conflict in Ukraine could spill over into Slovenia, the EU, or the rest of Europe. The conflict in Syria, and before that in Iraq, triggered an exodus of refugees into Europe, including through Slovenia, which required (and still requires) additional tasks and measures from security and other state institutions (police, civil protection, humanitarian organizations, etc.).<br \/>\nChanges in international relations have recently been happening faster than ever before and pose a challenge for both the EU and Slovenia. These changes are largely driven by the United States. U.S. President Donald Trump decided to \u201cstop the dying of young people\u201d\u2014Ukrainians and Russians\u2014so he began negotiations with both sides while simultaneously reducing military aid to Ukraine. This reduction in American involvement means increased European responsibility. Europe has assessed that a potential de-escalation in Ukraine does not mark the end of the danger for Europe. A signal must be sent to Russia that Europe (and Ukraine) is strong and armed enough to deter any further ambitions of conquest\u2014even despite some estimates that Russia has severely depleted its forces, both in terms of equipment and manpower. Russia has been unable to shift the front line; its march on Kyiv failed\u2014it suffered a defeat. According to experts from RUSI (Royal United Services Institute), Russia will need 5\u201310 years after this war (if a truce occurs) to recover and prepare for a possible new military campaign.<br \/>\nAll of this has led the EU to decide to increase its military capabilities and armament. The EU already allocates approximately USD 350 billion annually for defense; together with the rest of Europe and the UK (an additional USD 75 billion), the total reaches USD 425 billion. According to the IISS (International Institute for Strategic Studies), using market exchange rates, the United States spent USD 968 billion on its military in 2024, while the 14 next-largest spenders combined spent USD 1,017 billion, Russia\u2019s share is USD 145.9 billion<\/p>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<table border=\"0\" width=\"775\" cellspacing=\"0\" cellpadding=\"0\">\n<thead>\n<tr>\n<td bgcolor=\"#e6efdb\" width=\"334\"><span style=\"color: #000000;\"><span style=\"font-family: Roboto, serif;\"><span style=\"font-size: small;\"><span lang=\"sl-SI\"><b>Country<\/b><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/td>\n<td bgcolor=\"#e6efdb\" width=\"442\"><span style=\"color: #000000;\"><span style=\"font-family: Roboto, serif;\"><span style=\"font-size: small;\"><span lang=\"sl-SI\"><b>Defense Budget 2024 (USD)<\/b><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<\/thead>\n<tbody>\n<tr valign=\"TOP\">\n<td bgcolor=\"#eeeeee\" width=\"334\"><span style=\"color: #000000;\">\ud83c\uddfa\ud83c\uddf8<\/span><span style=\"color: #000000;\"> <span style=\"font-family: Roboto, serif;\"><span style=\"font-size: small;\"><span lang=\"sl-SI\">ZDA<\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/td>\n<td bgcolor=\"#eeeeee\" width=\"442\"><span style=\"color: #000000;\"><span style=\"font-family: Roboto, serif;\"><span style=\"font-size: small;\"><span lang=\"sl-SI\">$968.0B<\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr valign=\"TOP\">\n<td width=\"334\"><span style=\"color: #000000;\">\ud83c\udde8\ud83c\uddf3<\/span><span style=\"color: #000000;\"> <span style=\"font-family: Roboto, serif;\"><span style=\"font-size: small;\"><span lang=\"sl-SI\">Kitajska<\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/td>\n<td width=\"442\"><span style=\"color: #000000;\"><span style=\"font-family: Roboto, serif;\"><span style=\"font-size: small;\"><span lang=\"sl-SI\">$235.0B<\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr valign=\"TOP\">\n<td bgcolor=\"#eeeeee\" width=\"334\"><span style=\"color: #000000;\">\ud83c\uddf7\ud83c\uddfa<\/span><span style=\"color: #000000;\"> <span style=\"font-family: Roboto, serif;\"><span style=\"font-size: small;\"><span lang=\"sl-SI\">Rusija<\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/td>\n<td bgcolor=\"#eeeeee\" width=\"442\"><span style=\"color: #000000;\"><span style=\"font-family: Roboto, serif;\"><span style=\"font-size: small;\"><span lang=\"sl-SI\">$145.9B<\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr valign=\"TOP\">\n<td width=\"334\"><span style=\"color: #000000;\">\ud83c\udde9\ud83c\uddea<\/span><span style=\"color: #000000;\"> <span style=\"font-family: Roboto, serif;\"><span style=\"font-size: small;\"><span lang=\"sl-SI\">Nem\u010dija<\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/td>\n<td width=\"442\"><span style=\"color: #000000;\"><span style=\"font-family: Roboto, serif;\"><span style=\"font-size: small;\"><span lang=\"sl-SI\">$86.0B<\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr valign=\"TOP\">\n<td bgcolor=\"#eeeeee\" width=\"334\"><span style=\"color: #000000;\">\ud83c\uddec\ud83c\udde7<\/span><span style=\"color: #000000;\"> <span style=\"font-family: Roboto, serif;\"><span style=\"font-size: small;\"><span lang=\"sl-SI\">Britanija<\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/td>\n<td bgcolor=\"#eeeeee\" width=\"442\"><span style=\"color: #000000;\"><span style=\"font-family: Roboto, serif;\"><span style=\"font-size: small;\"><span lang=\"sl-SI\">$81.1B<\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr valign=\"TOP\">\n<td width=\"334\"><span style=\"color: #000000;\">\ud83c\uddee\ud83c\uddf3<\/span><span style=\"color: #000000;\"> <span style=\"font-family: Roboto, serif;\"><span style=\"font-size: small;\"><span lang=\"sl-SI\">Indija<\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/td>\n<td width=\"442\"><span style=\"color: #000000;\"><span style=\"font-family: Roboto, serif;\"><span style=\"font-size: small;\"><span lang=\"sl-SI\">$74.4B<\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr valign=\"TOP\">\n<td bgcolor=\"#eeeeee\" width=\"334\"><span style=\"color: #000000;\">\ud83c\uddf8\ud83c\udde6<\/span><span style=\"color: #000000;\"> <span style=\"font-family: Roboto, serif;\"><span style=\"font-size: small;\"><span lang=\"sl-SI\">Saudska Arabija<\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/td>\n<td bgcolor=\"#eeeeee\" width=\"442\"><span style=\"color: #000000;\"><span style=\"font-family: Roboto, serif;\"><span style=\"font-size: small;\"><span lang=\"sl-SI\">$71.7B<\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr valign=\"TOP\">\n<td width=\"334\"><span style=\"color: #000000;\">\ud83c\uddeb\ud83c\uddf7<\/span><span style=\"color: #000000;\"> <span style=\"font-family: Roboto, serif;\"><span style=\"font-size: small;\"><span lang=\"sl-SI\">Francija<\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/td>\n<td width=\"442\"><span style=\"color: #000000;\"><span style=\"font-family: Roboto, serif;\"><span style=\"font-size: small;\"><span lang=\"sl-SI\">$64.0B<\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr valign=\"TOP\">\n<td bgcolor=\"#eeeeee\" width=\"334\"><span style=\"color: #000000;\">\ud83c\uddef\ud83c\uddf5<\/span><span style=\"color: #000000;\"> <span style=\"font-family: Roboto, serif;\"><span style=\"font-size: small;\"><span lang=\"sl-SI\">Japonska<\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/td>\n<td bgcolor=\"#eeeeee\" width=\"442\"><span style=\"color: #000000;\"><span style=\"font-family: Roboto, serif;\"><span style=\"font-size: small;\"><span lang=\"sl-SI\">$53.0B<\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr valign=\"TOP\">\n<td width=\"334\"><span style=\"color: #000000;\">\ud83c\uddf0\ud83c\uddf7<\/span><span style=\"color: #000000;\"> <span style=\"font-family: Roboto, serif;\"><span style=\"font-size: small;\"><span lang=\"sl-SI\">Ju\u017ena Koreja<\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/td>\n<td width=\"442\"><span style=\"color: #000000;\"><span style=\"font-family: Roboto, serif;\"><span style=\"font-size: small;\"><span lang=\"sl-SI\">$43.9B<\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr valign=\"TOP\">\n<td bgcolor=\"#eeeeee\" width=\"334\"><span style=\"color: #000000;\">\ud83c\udde6\ud83c\uddfa<\/span><span style=\"color: #000000;\"> <span style=\"font-family: Roboto, serif;\"><span style=\"font-size: small;\"><span lang=\"sl-SI\">Australija<\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/td>\n<td bgcolor=\"#eeeeee\" width=\"442\"><span style=\"color: #000000;\"><span style=\"font-family: Roboto, serif;\"><span style=\"font-size: small;\"><span lang=\"sl-SI\">$36.4B<\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr valign=\"TOP\">\n<td width=\"334\"><span style=\"color: #000000;\">\ud83c\uddee\ud83c\uddf9<\/span><span style=\"color: #000000;\"> <span style=\"font-family: Roboto, serif;\"><span style=\"font-size: small;\"><span lang=\"sl-SI\">Italija<\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/td>\n<td width=\"442\"><span style=\"color: #000000;\"><span style=\"font-family: Roboto, serif;\"><span style=\"font-size: small;\"><span lang=\"sl-SI\">$35.2B<\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr valign=\"TOP\">\n<td bgcolor=\"#eeeeee\" width=\"334\"><span style=\"color: #000000;\">\ud83c\uddee\ud83c\uddf1<\/span><span style=\"color: #000000;\"> <span style=\"font-family: Roboto, serif;\"><span style=\"font-size: small;\"><span lang=\"sl-SI\">Israel<\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/td>\n<td bgcolor=\"#eeeeee\" width=\"442\"><span style=\"color: #000000;\"><span style=\"font-family: Roboto, serif;\"><span style=\"font-size: small;\"><span lang=\"sl-SI\">$33.7B<\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr valign=\"TOP\">\n<td width=\"334\"><span style=\"color: #000000;\">\ud83c\uddfa\ud83c\udde6<\/span><span style=\"color: #000000;\"> <span style=\"font-family: Roboto, serif;\"><span style=\"font-size: small;\"><span lang=\"sl-SI\">Ukrajina<\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/td>\n<td width=\"442\"><span style=\"color: #000000;\"><span style=\"font-family: Roboto, serif;\"><span style=\"font-size: small;\"><span lang=\"sl-SI\">$28.4B<\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr valign=\"TOP\">\n<td bgcolor=\"#eeeeee\" width=\"334\"><span style=\"color: #000000;\">\ud83c\uddf5\ud83c\uddf1<\/span><span style=\"color: #000000;\"> <span style=\"font-family: Roboto, serif;\"><span style=\"font-size: small;\"><span lang=\"sl-SI\">Poljska<\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/td>\n<td bgcolor=\"#eeeeee\" width=\"442\"><span style=\"color: #000000;\"><span style=\"font-family: Roboto, serif;\"><span style=\"font-size: small;\"><span lang=\"sl-SI\">$28.4B<\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<\/tbody>\n<\/table>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p>So, if each EU country and the UK ensures its own armament, does that ensure security for the whole of Europe? Or the opposite \u2014 that the parts do not make up security for the whole? The fragmentation of capabilities is a problem; individual countries differ in their perception of threat and accordingly develop their military power. Every country also has its own defense industry. The U.S. is the largest producer and exporter of weapons. From 2019\u20132023, the U.S. accounted for 42% of global arms exports, followed by France and Russia with 11% each, and Germany and China with 5.8% each.<br \/>\nAnd what about Slovenia? Is Slovenia under threat? Is it threatened because Europe is threatened? Is Slovenia more at risk than neighboring countries?<\/p>\n<p>These and other questions were addressed by Ambassador Vojko Volk.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>8 April 2025<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[5,13],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-1178","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-event","category-panel"],"acf":[],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/sdmo-drustvo.si\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/1178","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/sdmo-drustvo.si\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/sdmo-drustvo.si\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/sdmo-drustvo.si\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/sdmo-drustvo.si\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=1178"}],"version-history":[{"count":4,"href":"https:\/\/sdmo-drustvo.si\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/1178\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":1191,"href":"https:\/\/sdmo-drustvo.si\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/1178\/revisions\/1191"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/sdmo-drustvo.si\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=1178"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/sdmo-drustvo.si\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=1178"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/sdmo-drustvo.si\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=1178"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}