Fico's Moscow Journey Takes a Detour Amidst Baltic Airspace Closure
Airspace over the Baltic States is shut down for Fico's flight to Moscow.
Take a step back, as we dive into the curious case of Slovak Prime Minister Robert Fico's journey to Moscow for World War II commemorations. A twist of events has left Fico on a roundabout route, thanks to the Baltic states shutting their airspace towards his plane. Here's the lowdown on what's been causing a stir.
Slapped with the title of the sole EU leader embarking on a trip to Moscow, Fico now faces a challenging flight path. With the Baltics turning a blind eye to his plane, he must weave through various destinations to reach the Russian capital. According to the AirNav website, Fico's government plane has already taken off from Bratislava and is ascertained to touch down in Moscow at approximately 9:30 PM local time (8:30 PM CET).
The flight is slated to pass over Hungary, Romania, the Black Sea, Georgia, and subsequent parts of Russia's Dagestan region. Typically, aircraft traversing between Russia and Europe would cruise through Lithuanian airspace, but not anymore. This shift is due to a 2021 advisory issued to European airlines, urging them to steer clear of the shorter route over Belarus—all part of sanctions against the Minsk administration, which coerced a Western plane carrying a political adversary to ground.
The Lithuanian President, Gitanas Nauseda, announced a ban on overflights for Fico and Serbian President Aleksandar Vucic, with Latvia following suit by declining any flights to Moscow's celebrations. Estonia chimed in on Fico's Facebook page, notifying him that they wouldn't grant permission for his plane to fly over their territory, making for a particularly intricate itinerary.
Interestingly enough, Fico is the lone EU elite attending the Moscow celebrations on May 9. Over two dozen foreign dignitaries, including Chinese President Xi Jinping, are expected to make an appearance in the parade. Fico's decision to attend the event, despite EU Foreign Policy Chief Kaja Kallas' entreaty for EU leaders to abstain from participating in Russia's military celebrations, denotes a more nuanced approach toward Russia on his part.
Part of Fico's intricate stance on Russia includes his criticism of EU backing for Ukraine and continued reliance on Russian gas in Slovakia. Despite these hurdles, Fico has devised an alternate route to Moscow, skimming across Turkey, Azerbaijan, and southern Russian territories.
Sources: ntv.de, mdi/rts
- Slovakia
- Baltics
- Moscow
- Russia
- World War II
- EU
- Despite the Baltic states announcing a ban on overflights for Slovakia's government plane, Prime Minister Robert Fico, the sole EU leader embarking on a trip to Moscow, has devised an alternate route to Moscow, flying over countries such as Hungary, Romania, the Black Sea, Georgia, Turkey, Azerbaijan, and southern Russian territories.
- The refusal of the Baltics, including Lithuania, Latvia, and Estonia, to grant permission for Fico's plane to fly over their territories is a response to the 2021 advisory issued to European airlines, urging them to steer clear of a shorter route over Belarus.
- The shutting of the Baltic states' airspace towards Fico's plane has resulted in a challenging flight path for the Slovak prime minister, as he travels to Moscow for World War II commemorations.
- Slovakia's prime minister, Robert Fico, is taking a roundabout route to Moscow, thanks to the Baltic states' decision to turn a blind eye to his plane, following the EU's sanctions against the Minsk administration due to the coercion of a Western plane carrying a political adversary to ground.
