On May 9, Russia marked the 81st anniversary of the end of World War II with Victory Day celebrations and a military parade that did not feature armoured vehicles or ballistic missiles. Slovak Prime Minister Robert Fico was the only leader from a European Union member state to travel to Moscow. He did not attend the parade, but met with Russian President Vladimir Putin. During the meeting, they discussed deepening economic cooperation and what Fico described as a new Iron Curtain. Putin stated that Russia would do everything to meet Slovakia’s energy needs.
Fico also assured Putin that Slovakia is maintaining and caring for the graves of Red Army soldiers and that a renovated cemetery in Michalovce will soon be opened. The Slovak government, he added, seeks mutually beneficial and friendly relations with Russia and is preparing further steps in that direction.
„We have taken concrete steps to reinstate military attachés at individual embassies. We are also addressing practical issues concerning our embassy here in Moscow, as well as challenges faced by the Embassy of the Russian Federation in Bratislava."
Vladimir Putin said that Russian-Slovak relations have long been characterized by a high level of political dialogue, but that the European Union and NATO are pursuing a confrontational policy.
„We understand that these relations are currently complicated by events related to the situation in Ukraine, as well as by a confrontational foreign policy stance that, in our view, is being imposed on all NATO member states.“
According to the Kremlin chief, Moscow will do everything in its power to meet Slovakia’s energy needs. Also present at the meeting were Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov and Rosatom Director Alexey Likhachev. Likhachev stated that the company is prepared to participate in the construction of nuclear power units in Slovakia.
After the meeting, adviser to Russian President Yuri Ushakov told TASS press agency that a new round of negotiations with Ukraine had not yet begun. According to him, Robert Fico did not deliver any message from Volodymyr Zelenskyy to the Russian president. The BBC reported that, according to Kremlin spokesperson Dmitry Peskov, no message was conveyed there. “Everyone was at the reception; there weren’t many opportunities,” Peskov told reporters, as quoted by Interfax.
Federal Chancellor Friedrich Merz criticized Slovak Prime Minister Robert Fico’s visit to the Russian capital, stating that it does not reflect a common European position. The chancellor said he intends to discuss the matter directly with the Slovak prime minister.
Robert Fico returned to Bratislava via the same route as on Friday, flying over Finland and Sweden, and then likely through Germany and the Czech Republic. As in the previous year, the Baltic states did not grant permission for the government aircraft to use their airspace.
Source: Rádiožurnál, STVR
