Fico plans to attend May 9 parade in Moscow, European Commission responds

This was reported by Dennik Postoj.

Fico described EU's top diplomat Kaja Kallas’s warnings regarding his planned trip to Russia as threats.  

"I'm going to Moscow on May 9. Is Ms. Kallas's warning a form of blackmail or a declaration that I’ll be punished when I return from Moscow? I don't know. But I do know it’s 2025, not 1939," Fico stated.

He also reiterated that "no one can dictate where he may or may not travel," and emphasized the need for the EU to "debate the essence of democracy." He explained this by expressing his disapproval of what "happened in Romania and France, and the kind of 'maidans' the West is organizing in Georgia or Serbia."

Kaja Kallas had previously stressed that European leaders' participation in the May 9 events in Moscow "will not be taken lightly on the European side, as Russia is waging a real war in Europe."

European Commission's reaction

European Commission spokesperson Anitta Hipper, commenting on Fico’s statement during a briefing on April 16, reminded that in 2022, all EU countries — including Slovakia — agreed to decline invitations from Russia to such events. She emphasized that Russia uses the anniversary of the end of World War II to justify its aggressive war against Ukraine.

"From our side, it is important not to give legitimacy to this by participating in events like this parade. In fact, we also have a Council decision on this matter: Member States, including Slovakia, agreed in 2022 to decline such invitations," Hipper stated.

• The Ukrainian government has invited EU leaders to Kyiv on May 9 as a show of diplomatic strength against the annual military parade led by Kremlin leader Vladimir Putin in Moscow.