Slovak PM's Moscow Trip Takes a Twist as Baltic States Shutter Airspace
Airspace Closure Over Baltic States for Flight to Moscow Led by Fico
Got some roadblocks on the path to Moscow, mate! Slovak Prime Minister Robert Fico's flight to the Russian capital for World War II commemorations ain't sailing smooth as planned due to the Baltic states slamming their airspace shut.
Due to his pro-Russia stance, Fico's jet faces a detour instead of cruising through the usual route. According to AirNav, his plane took off from Bratislava airport in the afternoon, aiming to land in Moscow around 9:30 PM local time (8:30 PM CET). Instead of the typical route over Lithuania, the flight must zig-zag through Hungary, Romania, the Black Sea, Georgia, and then enter Russia's Dagestan region.
Normally, European airlines leverage Lithuanian airspace. But a few years back, they were nudged to dodge the Belarusian airspace as part of sanctions against Minsk, following an incident where a Western plane with a political foe was forced to land[1].
Latvia's already signaled they won't approve any flights to Moscow's festivities. Lithuania's standing firm, too, with President Gitanas Nauseda announcing he'd block Fico and Serbian President Aleksandar Vucic's flights. Even Estonia isn't budging, as reported by Fico publicly on his Facebook page. "This complicates our schedule something fierce," he huffed.
Fico's the sole EU head poised to attend the Moscow commemorations on May 9. While more than two dozen foreign dignitaries, including Chinese President Xi Jinping, are joining the parade, EU foreign policy chief Kaja Kallas warned against joining Russia's military celebrations[2].
Sources: ntv.de, mdi/rts
Keywords:- Slovakia- Baltics- Moscow- Russia- World War II- EU
- The Slovak Prime Minister, Robert Fico, is facing a detour in his flight to Moscow due to the Baltic states closing their airspace, causing a complicating factor in his schedule.
- Slovakia's Prime Minister Fico's flight, originally aiming for the Russian capital for World War II commemorations, must now bypass Lithuanian airspace and travel through alternate routes such as Hungary, Romania, the Black Sea, Georgia, and Dagestan.
- In the past, European airlines commonly used Lithuanian airspace, but sanctions forced them to dodge Belarusian airspace following an incident where a Western plane with a political foe was forcefully landed.
- Latvia, Lithuania, and Estonia have all signaled their intention not to approve any flights to Moscow's festivities, which has created an issue for Slovakia's Prime Minister Fico, who is the sole EU head planning to attend the Moscow commemorations on May 9.
