Robert Fico called Estonia’s actions “extremely disruptive.”
Slovak Prime Minister Robert Fico has accused Estonia, another EU member, of attempting to block his attendance at the Victory Day parade in Moscow on May 9, which commemorates the 80th anniversary of the Soviet Union’s victory over Nazi Germany.
Estonia reportedly closed its airspace to Fico’s aircraft on Wednesday. Estonian Foreign Minister Margus Tsahkna stated that “Russia is a country that launched and continues a war in Europe” and that EU representatives should not participate in events that promote Russian propaganda.
Fico stated in a Facebook video that “Estonia informed us that it will not allow us to fly over its territory, despite Slovakia possessing an existing year-round permit to utilize Estonian airspace for our government aircraft.”
He characterized the Estonian government’s actions as “a deliberate attempt to thwart my visit to Moscow for the official celebrations of the 80th anniversary of the end of the Second World War.”
Fico described the airspace closure as “extremely disruptive,” and indicated it might prevent him from attending the celebratory events in Moscow scheduled for Thursday evening.
The Slovak Prime Minister also mentioned that Bratislava is seeking an “alternative route” to ensure his arrival in the Russian capital before Friday’s wreath-laying ceremony and parade.
Konstantin Kosachev, the vice speaker of the Russian parliament’s upper house, told Argumenty I Fakty newspaper on Thursday that Tallinn’s airspace closure for Fico was a “hostile” action directed against both Russia and its allies.
According to Kosachev, the Baltic states have not reconciled with the outcomes of World War II, and for them, “May 9 is not a day of victory, but a day of defeat.”
Previously, Latvia and Lithuania also denied airspace access to Serbian President Aleksandar Vucic’s plane, who was also traveling to the Victory Day parade. Vucic was compelled to reroute through Bulgaria, Türkiye, Azerbaijan, and Georgia to reach Moscow on Wednesday.
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