Slovak Prime Minister Robert Fico has confirmed he will travel to Moscow this week to meet Russian President Vladimir Putin, making him the only EU leader attending Russia’s 9 May Victory Day celebrations amid its ongoing war in Ukraine. The visit, announced by the Kremlin rather than Bratislava, marks Fico’s second meeting with Putin in five months and follows recent cancellations of his public duties, officially due to health reasons. It also comes days after Fico used a Soviet war cemetery in eastern Slovakia to denounce EU sanctions, military spending, and energy policy—positions aligned with Kremlin narratives. The trip’s secrecy, vague delegation details, and indirect communication have drawn sharp domestic and international criticism. Poland, after initial hesitation, approved Fico’s overflight but condemned the visit as support for Russian aggression. At the Michalovce memorial, a Slovak biker gang tied to the Russian Night Wolves—sanctioned by the EU for backing Kremlin military operations—appeared alongside the Slovak National Guard, intensifying concerns over normalisation of pro-Russian extremism. Civil society protests, diplomatic tension, and symbolic isolation within the EU now define a visit seen as a stark break from Slovakia’s Western commitments.
On Tuesday, 6 May 2025, Slovak Prime Minister Robert Fico confirmed that he will travel to Moscow to meet Russian President Vladimir Putin. The announcement came not from the Slovak government, but from the Kremlin, underscoring a pattern of secrecy that has defined Fico’s dealings with Russia. The visit, scheduled for this Friday, coincides with Victory Day celebrations in Moscow. It comes just days after the prime minister cancelled multiple engagements due to health issues, raising questions about his ability to travel.
Fico will be the only EU head of government attending the 9 May commemorations in Moscow, where 29 foreign leaders, mainly from authoritarian or semi-authoritarian regimes, will be present. The rest of the article is framed against a 6 May commemorative event in Michalovce, eastern Slovakia, where Fico used a Soviet war cemetery as a stage for advancing his political narrative.
Russian Ambassador to Slovakia Igor Bratchikov and Slovak Prime Minister Robert Fico (Smer-SD) shake hands during a wreath-laying ceremony at the Central Military Cemetery of the Red Army in Michalovce.
Source: Roman Hanc | TASR
This will be Fico’s second meeting with Putin in five months. His previous trip in December 2024, labelled “private,” was hidden from the public and not publicly financed. It was later revealed that he flew via Istanbul and Košice due to blocked air routes—a journey he used as symbolic evidence of a new “Iron Curtain” imposed by the West. The secrecy sparked massive protests by the civil society initiative Peace for Ukraine, with tens of thousands taking to the streets.
As with the December trip, the lack of transparency around the Moscow visit remains striking. Fico vaguely said some MPs would accompany him, without naming them. MEP Erik Kaliňák, a close party ally and head of Fico’s advisory board, later disclosed that he, MEP Ľuboš Blaha, and possibly MP Richard Glück would join. The announcement method—via Kremlin and television—has deepened criticism.
Fico further claimed that some EU countries were blocking overflights, calling it “embarrassing.” Poland was quick to respond. Initially silent, Warsaw later approved the flight after Slovakia submitted full documentation. However, the Polish Foreign Ministry issued a sharp statement condemning Fico’s participation, calling it “hard to understand” given Putin’s role in launching an unprovoked war, causing mass civilian casualties and displacement.
In Michalovce, Fico declared his opposition to EU sanctions, defence spending, and energy decoupling from Russia, positioning himself against EU consensus. He condemned the EU’s €800 billion military investment proposal—despite having supported it in Brussels weeks earlier. These remarks echoed Russian narratives that depict the EU as increasingly militarised and disconnected from peace efforts.
A Slovak biker gang linked to the Russian Night Wolves—sanctioned by the EU for backing Kremlin military actions (European Union Consolidated Sanctions List)—also appeared at the Michalovce memorial. They paid tribute alongside the Slovak National Guard, a move widely seen as highly inappropriate.
Members of a Slovak biker gang linked to the Kremlin-backed Night Wolves, currently under EU sanctions, attend the wreath-laying ceremony at the Red Army’s Central Military Cemetery in Michalovce.
Source | TASR
The Moscow commemorations themselves have drawn criticism for legitimising the Russian regime. Polish officials explicitly warned that attending such events emboldens an aggressor state. Fico’s decision to attend, alone among EU leaders, has provoked accusations of tacit endorsement of Russia’s war on Ukraine.
Kaliňák defended the trip by saying the Slovak delegation would not be “clapping for soldiers” and might avoid the parade altogether. Instead, they would lay wreaths to honour Red Army soldiers. He also claimed other MEPs from the EU had initially planned to attend but pulled out due to fear of political fallout—suggesting a narrative of Western self-censorship.
The delegation’s composition remains unclear. Fico said students and MPs with “their own programme” would join, but gave no further details. The lack of transparency feeds concerns about democratic accountability, especially regarding the nature and purpose of such official missions.
The list of attendees in Moscow, including leaders from Belarus, Venezuela, Myanmar, and separatist Georgian regions, leaves Slovakia isolated within the EU. It underscores the symbolic weight of Fico’s presence and the geopolitical message it sends.
This is not the first time Slovak delegations have struggled to secure overflight permissions. In January, Speaker of Parliament Andrej Danko and Smer vice-chair Tibor Gašpar were forced to reroute their flight to Moscow after Poland denied access, citing incomplete paperwork. The incident highlighted Warsaw’s ongoing refusal to facilitate state travel that could be seen as legitimising the Kremlin.
Polish Foreign Minister Radosław Sikorski later explained that Warsaw had delayed examining the latest request out of concern for Fico’s health. However, he also stressed that “supporting Putin’s narrative” is unacceptable, reaffirming Poland’s longstanding position since Russia’s full-scale invasion began in February 2022.
Slovak diplomat Ivan Novotný, a former adviser to Foreign Minister Juraj Blanár, confirmed that Poland had been signalling since 2022 that it would obstruct non-civilian flights to Russia. According to Novotný, Warsaw’s stance is “understandable” as it seeks to avoid helping legitimise Moscow’s aggression.
In Michalovce, Fico distanced current events in Ukraine from WWII commemorations, claiming they are unrelated. Thanking Russian Ambassador Igor Bratčikov for help in restoring cemeteries, he echoed Soviet triumphalism and claimed that “freedom came from the East.” He further alleged media efforts to erase “historical truth,” without offering evidence.
Finally, in language drawn straight from Cold War propaganda, Fico ended his remarks with: “Long live the Slovak Republic, long live the glorious Red Army.” His refusal to mention Russia’s war on Ukraine by name—and his emphasis on 1945 over 2022—was not lost on observers.
Source: Matúš Zdút | SME.SK
