Slovakia’s Prime Minister Robert Fico is the only EU leader attending Russia’s May 9 military parade, defying airspace bans and EU pressure to stay away.
Robert Fico has charted an unusual flight path to Moscow. After Baltic states shut their airspace to block his trip, the Slovak prime minister rerouted through Hungary, Romania, the Black Sea and Georgia to reach Russia on Thursday evening.
Fico will attend Friday’s Victory Day parade on Red Square—making him the only EU leader standing alongside foreign dignitaries such as China’s Xi Jinping.
The move comes despite vocal calls from EU officials to avoid legitimising Russia’s military celebrations. Estonia, Latvia and Lithuania all denied airspace use for the trip, forcing Slovakia’s government plane into a complex detour.
“This is exceptionally complicating our schedule,” Fico said on Facebook, adding that Estonia blocked flyover rights despite Slovakia holding year-round clearance.
The prime minister is also expected to hold bilateral meetings and attend a wreath-laying ceremony in Moscow. His participation underscores a widening rift between Bratislava and Brussels.
Fico, who returned to power in 2023, has drawn criticism for shifting Slovakia’s foreign policy closer to Moscow. The country remains reliant on Russian gas, and Fico has resisted some EU positions on the war and sanctions.
Serbia’s President Aleksandar Vučić was also reportedly blocked from flying through Lithuanian airspace to attend the parade. Other EU nations, including France and Germany, are abstaining from the event altogether.
Fico’s attendance sends a message—one that runs against the tide of European diplomacy.
Allies of Kyrgyzstan’s President Sadyr Japarov have secured a strong majority in the country’s snap parliamentary election, according to prelimina...
OPEC+ is expected to maintain its current oil production levels at meetings scheduled for Sunday, as the alliance weighs the risks of an emerging supp...
More than a thousand people gathered in Hong Kong on Sunday to mourn victims of the city’s deadliest fire in 75 years, as Beijing warned against any...
Türkiye’s first unmanned fighter jet, the Bayraktar KIZILELMA, made history off the coast of Sinop by successfully firing a beyond-visual-range air...
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said on Sunday he had appointed Oksana Markarova, the country’s former ambassador to the United States, as h...
Türkiye’s first unmanned fighter jet, the Bayraktar KIZILELMA, made history off the coast of Sinop by successfully firing a beyond-visual-range air-to-air missile at a jet-powered target.
The White House has opened a new page on its official website accusing journalists and news organisations of biased or misleading coverage of President Donald Trump
At least 153 people have been killed in Sri Lanka after landslides and flooding caused by Cyclone Ditwah, officials said on Saturday, with 191 others missing and more than half a million affected nationwide.
Venezuela has condemned Donald Trump’s claim that its airspace is “closed in its entirety,” calling the remark a hostile act that breaches international law and echoes colonial pressure.
U.S. investigators have recovered the black box recorders from the wreckage of a UPS cargo plane that crashed in flames on takeoff in Louisville, Kentucky. At least twelve people died. The crash sent a wall of fire into an industrial corridor and forced the shutdown of the airport.
The global recall of Airbus A320 aircraft has triggered widespread disruption across several major airlines, forcing flight cancellations in the United States, Japan, Australia and New Zealand.
Hezbollah chief Naim Qassem said on Friday that the group retains the right to respond to Israel’s killing of its top military commander, leaving open the possibility of a new conflict with the country.
Kazakhstan has called on Ukraine to stop striking the Black Sea terminal of the Caspian Pipeline Consortium (CPC) after a major drone attack forced a halt to exports and caused serious damage to loading equipment.
Russia’s state communications watchdog said it is tightening restrictions on WhatsApp, claiming the US-owned platform violates Russian law and is being used to facilitate criminal activity, according to comments carried by the Tass news agency.
OPEC+ is expected to maintain its current oil production levels at meetings scheduled for Sunday, as the alliance weighs the risks of an emerging supply glut against ongoing geopolitical uncertainty, four OPEC+ sources told reporters this week.
More than a thousand people gathered in Hong Kong on Sunday to mourn victims of the city’s deadliest fire in 75 years, as Beijing warned against any protest.
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said on Sunday he had appointed Oksana Markarova, the country’s former ambassador to the United States, as his new adviser on reconstruction and investment, expanding the team responsible for long-term recovery planning.
Eight more suspected cases of African swine fever have been found near Barcelona as Spain battles to contain growing damage to its multi-billion-euro pork exports.
The White House has opened a new page on its official website accusing journalists and news organisations of biased or misleading coverage of President Donald Trump
You can download the AnewZ application from Play Store and the App Store.
What is your opinion on this topic?
Leave the first comment