EU state’s PM slams attempts to scuttle his visit to Moscow

Slovak Prime Minister Robert Fico has accused the opposition in his country of attempting to use the European Parliament to thwart his visit to Moscow next year for the 80th anniversary of the defeat of Nazism.

Earlier this week, Fico announced that he had accepted an invitation from Russian President Vladimir Putin to travel to Moscow in May 2025. The visit would be the first by a Slovak government official since the escalation of the Ukraine conflict in 2022, and has sparked significant backlash from Slovak politicians and EU lawmakers.

“Opposition MPs tried, with the help of the European Parliament, to derail my plans to visit the Russian Federation, but they get wrong with reality,” Fico said, emphasizing that no one could tell the prime minister of a sovereign country where to go or not go.

“Victory over fascism would have been impossible without the former Soviet Union,” he concluded.

Fico’s plans have drawn sharp criticism from Michal Simecka, the leader of the largest opposition party in Slovakia’s parliament, who labeled the plan “a huge disgrace.”

On Thursday, lawmakers in the European Parliament addressed the issue of Fico’s proposed visit. However, a resolution condemning the trip was not put to a vote, as it was introduced as part of a broader debate on support for Ukraine and the issue of Russia’s cooperation with North Korea.

Fico’s perspective on relations with the Kremlin diverges significantly from most Western nations, which are backing Kiev in its armed conflict with Moscow. The United States and its allies have notably avoided engaging with Russia during significant commemorations, including the Allied landing in Normandy in June and the liberation of Auschwitz by Soviet troops in January.

The Kremlin has long accused the West of distorting historical narratives to further its geopolitical goals and appease sentiment in the Baltic states, which regard local militias that allied with the Axis powers during World War II as national heroes in their fight against the USSR.

Fico has been vocally critical of the West’s handling of the Ukraine conflict, particularly regarding efforts to isolate Russia. His planned trip to Moscow follows a visit by Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orban in July, coinciding with Hungary’s EU presidency, which also faced substantial criticism from other EU member states.