Slovak PM to visit Moscow on Putin's invitation for 9 May celebrations
Slovak Prime Minister Robert Fico is set to become the first Slovak representative to visit Russia on an official trip since the beginning of its invasion of Ukraine. Next year, he will attend Moscow's official celebrations marking the end of World War II in Europe, marked by Russians on 9 May.
Source: European Pravda, citing Aktuality, a Slovak news website
Details: Fico confirmed on social media on 27 November that Kremlin leader Vladimir Putin officially invited him and he "gladly accepted" the invitation.
Fico will be the first Slovak official to visit the Kremlin on an official trip since Russia's full-scale invasion of Ukraine. Western leaders have largely avoided Moscow, although Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orbán met with Putin in Moscow in July.
Fico highlighted the role of the Red Army and the Soviet Union in defeating fascism and achieving victory in World War II. He stated that Slovak citizens "revere and respect all anniversaries and events connected to the liberation of our territory by the Red Army in 1944-1945".
The prime minister also affirmed his government's commitment to preserving the legacy of the fight against fascism and the "historical truth" about World War II and the Red Army's role.
Quote from Fico: "For this reason, in 2025, the Slovak government will organise several events culminating in May celebrations of victory over fascism.
In line with this, it is only natural that, as the prime minister of the Slovak Republic, I am deeply interested in participating in the official 9 May 2025 celebrations of victory over fascism in Moscow."
Background:
- In a previous interview with Russian propagandist Olga Skabeeva, Fico expressed his eagerness to attend Moscow’s 9 May celebrations.
- Earlier, the Slovak prime minister stated that he wished to restore normal relations with Russia after the full-scale war in Ukraine ends.
- In early September, during a visit to the Holocaust Museum in Sereď, Fico controversially claimed that "Nazi troops" were fighting in Ukraine and accused the international community of ignoring this.
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