Biden welcomes Slovenian leader Golob to White House

President Joe Biden on Tuesday welcomed Slovenian Prime Minister Robert Golob to the White House, where Biden spoke of the importance of European unity and recognized the small Central European nation’s outsized role in the largest prisoner exchange between the U.S. and Russia in decades.

Biden underscored Ljubljana’s critical role in the August swap that saw the release of 24 people, including three high-profile Americans in Russian custody: Wall Street Journal reporter Evan Gerskovich, Radio Free Europe reporter Alsu Kurmasheva and former U.S. Marine Paul Whelan. Slovenia held two Russian spies in prison – and their release was a critical part of the deal.

“You made it possible,” Biden said to Golob in the Oval Office. “Thank you. We made it clear to anyone who questions whether our allies matter. Well, just look at what you did. They matter a great deal.”

Biden, who spoke of his role in pushing for the nation to join the North Atlantic Treaty Organization nearly two decades ago, continued his push for European unity – diplomatically and through institutions like the NATO security bloc – to counter Russian aggression in Ukraine.

“Because I knew then what I know now: We're stronger when we stand together with good partners like you,” Biden said. “We've seen it in support for the brave people of Ukraine as they defend themselves against Russia's aggression and we see it in our work to support democracy and prosperity across the western Balkans.”

Golob addressed Biden with “Dear Joe," a greeting that has become popular with European leaders.

“Mr. President, dear Joe, just a couple of words,” he said, in English. “And that is with little help of true friends, nothing is impossible. And I think that's really what our joint effort with the prisoner swap demonstrated to all of the world. And let's continue to work in true friendship and with a lot of friends."

The two also discussed a wide range of issues, the White House said, like energy security and cooperation and events in the Middle East.

This meeting – the first Oval Office visit by a Slovenian leader in 18 years – is “a particularly important legacy of Biden's administration,” said Wojciech Przybylski, editor-in-chief of Warsaw-based think tank Visegrad Insight.

“Slovenia is also a major stakeholder in the development of other Southeastern European countries of the Balkan region, where the U.S. is investing heavily to make Europe whole and free from wars and autocratic rule,” he told VOA via email.

“From a geopolitical point of view, Russian influence and even more important Chinese influence, including Beijing's ambitions to be the dominant player in the Slovenian port of Koper, a major port on the Adriatic Sea, is an important backdrop to the discussions on the economic security of Central and Eastern Europe," he said.

Donatienne Ruy, an analyst at the Center for Strategic and International Studies, told VOA by email that Golob’s visit is “an important recognition of the small country’s contributions to transatlantic relations, as both a NATO and an EU member.”

Slovenia, she said, is using its rotating presidency of the U.N. Security Council to support Ukraine and is an “anchor for the Western Balkans region.” And the country could soon play a big role in helming the European Commission’s enlargement efforts, as the top diplomat in line for the job is a left-leaning Slovene.

The nation hasn’t always held liberal stances, Ruy said.

“The country itself has seen ups and downs in governance in its post-Communist history, most recently under former Prime Minister Janez Jansa, who adopted an illiberal populist stance — he threatened the independence of the media and regularly attacked his opponents [rhetorically],” she said.

“The current government has been a more positive actor both on governance and democracy issues and as an EU member, which the White House visit likely acknowledges.”

Dalibor Rohac, a senior fellow at the American Enterprise Institute, was less complimentary.

“I don't see a lot of reasons for rewarding Slovenia's PM with a visit to the Oval Office,” he wrote to VOA by email. “Slovenia has made little progress in bringing up its defense spending. It is not embarking on massive purchases of U.S.-made equipment.

“Even in the EU context, the government has taken an extreme position against Israel. The Prime Minister himself has faced domestic controversy, including a criminal complaint for interfering with a police investigation. In short, I don't see much upside to Biden's doing this at this moment.”

VOA asked representatives from the campaign of former President Donald Trump if he planned to meet with Golob during his U.S. visit. Former first lady Melania Trump was born in the southern Slovenian city of Novo Mesto. The campaign did not reply.