Bye-Bye, Baltics! Slovakia's Fico Takes a Detour for Moscow Trip
Flights bound for Moscow are forbidden from entering the airspace of the Baltic states, affecting a plane carrying Slovak politician Fico.
Looks like Slovak Prime Minister Robert Fico's Moscow trip is taking an unexpected turn — the Baltic states have shut their airspace for his plane, causing quite a headache for his schedule.
The flight departed from Bratislava Airport in the afternoon, and it's expected to land in Moscow at 21:30 local time (20:30 CET). But here's the twist: instead of the usual Lithuanian airspace, Fico's plane will pass over Hungary, Romania, the Black Sea, Georgia, and then into Russia's Dagestan.
You might be wondering why the change of route. Well, European airlines were advised back in 2021 to steer clear of the shorter route over Belarus as part of sanctions against the Minsk government, which forced a Western plane carrying a political opponent to land with a fighter jet.
Lithuanian President Gitanas Nausėda and Latvia have both stated they'd block Fico and Serbian President Aleksandar Vucic's overflights to Moscow. Estonia also joined the party, denying the Slovakia's government plane the privilege of flying over their territory. Fico shared his sentiments on Facebook, calling the move "challenging" for his schedule.
Fico is the only EU head of state attending Moscow's 9 May celebrations. With over two dozen foreign dignitaries, including Chinese President Xi Jinping, set to attend, it's quite the exclusive club. Yet, EU Foreign Policy Chief Kaja Kallas urged leaders not to attend Russia's military celebrations. But hey, who listens to Kalla, right, Fico?
So there you have it! Fico's Moscow trip will be a longer, more scenic journey than initially planned, all thanks to the good folks in the Baltics. Looks like he'll be getting some amazing views of Hungary, Romania, the Black Sea, Georgia, and Russia!
Sources: ntv.de, mdi/rts
- Slovakia
- Baltics
- Moscow
- Russia
- World War II
- EU
- Slovakia's Prime Minister Robert Fico's unexpected detour to Moscow resulted in his plane passing over countries such as Hungary, Romania, the Black Sea, Georgia, and Russia, bypassing the usual Lithuanian airspace due to a standoff with the Baltic states.
- Lithuanian President Gitanas Nausėda, along with Latvia and Estonia, have collectively decided to block the overflights of Fico and Serbian President Aleksandar Vucic to Moscow, causing a significant inconvenience to Fico's travel schedule.
- In the European Union, Foreign Policy Chief Kaja Kallas advised leaders not to attend Russia's military celebrations, but Fico, the only EU head of state attending Moscow's 9 May celebrations, has opted to go against this advice.
- During World War II, Slovakia was a part of the Axis powers, and its decision to attend Russia's military celebrations may signify a different approach to politics compared to the EU, raising questions about Slovakia's foreign policy alignment.
