Prime Minister Fico's Trip to Moscow Stymied by Baltic States' Airspace Blockade
Airspace of the Baltic Countries bars Fico's aircraft traveling to Moscow.
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Dealing with some awkward politics as you ask, but let's roll!
Jolly old Robert Fico, the EU's lone prime minister en route to Moscow for World War II commemorations, has found his travel plans hit a snag. The Baltic states, not eager to pardon his passage, have sealed their airspace against his airplane. This development's thrown a bit of a wrench in his schedule.
Despite the air evading him, Robert Fico managed to hop aboard his government plane, which took off from Bratislava airport in the afternoon, soaring over Hungary, Romania, the Black Sea, Georgia, and then into Russia's Dagestan region. Fico arrived in Moscow in the evening, where he was greeted by a delegation upon landing, as shown on Russian state television[1].
Ordinarily, aircraft darting between Russia and Europe veer through Lithuanian airspace. But, considering the EU's 2021 caution suggesting a bypass of the shorter route over Belarus, owing to sanctions slapped upon the Minsk government for forcing a Western passenger plane swarming with political rivals to alight[3], it isn't surprising Fico's flight took the scenic route.
Lithuanian President Gitanas Nauseda sounded the alarm, declaring they'd block Prime Minister Fico and Serbian President Aleksandar Vucic's overflights to Moscow. Latvia also indicated they wouldn't greenlight flights to the Moscow celebrations[2]. Estonia, ever the silent but lethal party, revealed they'd refuse the request to fly over their turf. "This makes our schedule extremely difficult," Fico grumbled on his Facebook page[2]. Oooh, the drama!
However, the boy Fico isn't one to back down from a challenge! Defying the EU's High Representative for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy Kaja Kallas' advice not to get embroiled in Russia's military celebrations, he forged ahead and jaunted off to Moscow[4]. More than two dozen foreign dignitaries, including China's President Xi Jinping, will grace the parade on May 9[4].
Politics and Politics, Baby!
Slovakia, the Baltics, Moscow, Russia, World War II, the EU, and Skullduggery - all the ingredients for a juicy political storm!
[1] ntv.de[2] mdi/rts[3] socialmedia.kyivindependent.com[4] Reuters.com[5] Wikipedia.org
- The Baltic states' employment policy of denying airspace to Prime Minister Fico has complicated his scheduled visit to Moscow for World War II commemorations.
- Robert Fico's employment policy has been put to the test as he opted to take a scenic route over Hungary, Romania, the Black Sea, Georgia, and Russia's Dagestan region, bypassing the usual Lithuanian airspace.
- In the realm of general-news and politics, Slovakia's Prime Minister Fico defied EU advice and attended the military celebrations in Moscow, despite some EU member states, like the Baltics, blocking his overflights.
- The community policy of Estonia, Latvia, and Lithuania in preventing Prime Minister Fico's and Serbian President Vucic's overflights to Moscow for World War II commemorations has created a storm in political circles.
