Slovak Prime Minister Robert Fico arrived in Moscow in a controversial visit, criticized by several European partners. Slovak officials say the Bratislava-based leader may be passing messages to Vladimir Putin from Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskiy.
Robert Fico meets Vladimir Putin in Moscow. PHOTO: archive
The Prime Minister of Slovakia, Robert Fico, arrived in Moscow on Friday, May 8, for a meeting with Vladimir Putin, at a time when relations between Russia and European states remain extremely tense due to the war in Ukraine. The visit takes place before the ceremony organized on May 9 in Red Square, but Slovak officials have specified that Robert Fico will not participate in the military parade dedicated to Victory Day, but will only lay flowers at the tomb of the unknown soldier.
The announcement was made by the State Secretary of the Slovak Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Rastislav Chovanec, during a meeting of the European Affairs Committee of the Slovak Parliament. According to him, the Slovak prime minister could also have a role as an informal intermediary between Moscow and Kiev.
“The prime minister's visit to Moscow is mainly aimed at commemorating the end of the Second World War. He will not participate in the military parade, he will only lay flowers at the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier. But yes, in parallel he will also have a meeting with the Russian president, to whom he can deliver messages from the Ukrainian president, with whom he had contact twice in the last week. He can also get valuable information from the Russian president about how he views the efforts to end the war.” said Chovanec, quoted by the Slovak publication Teraz.
“I think that in this period it is necessary to communicate with all parties involved, and the European Union and European politicians should be interested in being present at the negotiating table where a peace agreement will be reached,” he also stated, adding that several European political leaders have already begun to support the idea of direct talks with Vladimir Putin.
Rastislav Chovanec also said that Robert Fico traditionally participates in events dedicated to the commemoration of the end of the Second World War in several European countries. According to the Slovak official, the prime minister is to go to France in June and was in Germany on Thursday, where he visited the former Nazi concentration camp at Dachau.
Fico's visit, criticized in Europe
The Slovak leader's move to Moscow, however, caused critical reactions both inside Slovakia and in other European states.
The vice-president of the parliamentary committee for European affairs, Beáta Jurík (PS), said that this visit should not become “a tradition”.
“Rather, I had the impression, both last year and this year, that our European partners view his visit to Moscow very critically and not as a diplomatic contribution from which important information can emerge,” she said.
Criticism has also come from other Slovak parliamentarians, who believe that Fico's trip to Russia sends the wrong political signal in the context of the war in Ukraine.
The journey to Moscow was also complicated by the refusal of several European states to allow the official Slovak aircraft to fly over, Robert Fico's plane having to follow a detour through the Czech Republic, Germany, Sweden and Finland.
Earlier, Lithuania and Latvia had announced that they would not allow the Slovak Prime Minister's plane to cross their airspace en route to Russia. Robert Fico confirmed that both states have officially notified Bratislava about this ban. Later, Estonia also announced the closure of its airspace for the flight of the Slovak delegation.
Moscow organizes a small parade
Robert Fico's visit takes place in the context of preparations for the May 9 military parade in Red Square, organized annually to mark the victory of the Soviet Union over Nazi Germany in World War II.
However, the Russian authorities have decided that this year's edition will be a reduced one, without the extensive demonstrations of military equipment traditionally organized. According to the information appearing in the international press, the decision was taken against the background of fears regarding possible Ukrainian attacks on Moscow.
