Sneaky Roadblock for Slovakia's Prime Minister to Moscow's War Memorial
Airspace Closure Prevents Fico's Flight to Moscow by Baltic States
Buckle up, Robert Fico! Your journey to Moscow for World War II commemorations ain't gonna be a breeze. The Baltic countries, fed up with your pro-Russia antics, have put a blockade on your plane's flight path. It's gonna be a bumpy road to Russia, mate.
Fico, the Slovakian prime minister with a penchant for Moscow, and his crew had to take off from Bratislava and fly over Hungary, Romania, the Black Sea, Georgia, and finally, Dagestan, Russia. They only made it to Moscow in the evening, thanks to the sneaky detour. Russian state television happily broadcasted Fico's arrival at the Moscow airport.
Usually, flights between Russia and Europe sneakily pass through Lithuanian airspace. But remember 2021 when the Minsk government forced a Western plane carrying a political opponent to land with a military jet? Ever since then, European airlines have dodged that shorter, riskier route over Belarus. Instead, they take the safer, Lithuanian route.
So, when Fico announced his plans to jet off to Moscow, the Lithuanian President, Gitanas Nauseda, threatened to block his flight, along with Serbian President Aleksandar Vucic. Latvia and Estonia didn't seem too keen on the idea either. Fico complained on Facebook that Estonia wouldn't give them permission to fly over. "This makes our schedule a real headsache," he grouched.
Fico is the only EU head honcho attending the Moscow celebrations on May 9. More than two dozen foreign dignitaries, including Chinese President Xi Jinping, are expected to participate in the parade. Fico's stubborn decision to attend despite EU foreign policy chief Kaja Kallas asking EU leaders to keep their distance from Russia's military celebrations has raised some eyebrows.
Sources: ntv.de, mdi/rts
- Slovakia
- Baltics
- Moscow
- Russia
- World War II
- EU
- The Baltic countries, seemingly protesting Slovakia's prime minister Robert Fico's pro-Russia policies, devised a plan to block his flight path to Moscow, forcing an alternative route through Hungary, Romania, the Black Sea, Georgia, and Dagestan.
- Even though flight paths between Russia and Europe typically include Lithuanian airspace, lengthening travel time, Western airlines have circumvented the route over Belarus since the Minsk government's controversial move in 2021.
- Fico's announced trip to Moscow for World War II commemorations sparked concern among neighboring countries like Lithuania, Latvia, Estonia, and even Serbia, with their leaders threatening to block his flight.
- As the only EU head of state attending Moscow's celebrations on May 9, Fico's decision to participate despite the EU foreign policy chief's request for leaders to distance themselves from Russia's military celebrations has generated heated discussions within the EU community.
