Pro-Russian Slovak MPs fly to Moscow to discuss gas supply, but Poland banned them from its airspace – photos
A group of far-right Slovak MPs, led by Andrej Danko, Deputy Speaker and leader of the nationalist Slovak National Party, has departed for Russia on a visit set to last several days. They intend to discuss the continuation of Russian gas deliveries after transit through Ukraine became impossible.
Source: TASR, as reported by European Pravda
Details: The delegation, led by Danko and Tibor Gašpar, a member of Prime Minister Robert Fico's Smer-SD party, set off on Sunday, 12 January.
They are joined by three other Smer-SD MPs (Marián Kéry, Ján Mažgút and Richard Glück) and Adam Lučanský, a fellow party member of Danko's from the Slovak National Party.
The trip will last until 15 January. Danko and Gašpar said they plan to meet with members of the Russian State Duma and some representatives of the Russian government. Among other things, they plan to raise the question of whether Gazprom could continue to supply gas to Slovakia after Ukraine refused to renew the transit agreement with the Russian company.
Danko says he wants to "bring people information" about life in Russia and "show that people live there too, that Germans, French people, Americans do business there".
Danko said they had had to fly over Czechia and Germany because Poland would not allow them to fly over its territory. "I don't understand Poland's position, but I accept it as a reality," he commented.
Slovakian media outlet Aktuality reports that the trip is being paid for by the state, despite Danko's earlier promises that it would be at the MPs' own expense.
Background:
- Announcing the trip to Russia, Danko said he would "consider it an honour" to be able to speak at the State Duma of the Russian Federation.
- The Embassy of Ukraine expressed outrage at the Slovak MPs’ plans, noting that such actions contribute to the legitimisation of Russian aggression against Ukraine.
- The Slovak MPs' trip follows a controversial visit to Moscow by Slovak Prime Minister Robert Fico, who met with Russian leader Vladimir Putin.
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