Slovak Premier Robert Fico travels to Moscow for the commemoration of Victory Day events.
Heads Up! Here's the scoop on Prime Minister Fico's Moscow visit:
After choosing an unconventional route, Robert Fico, the Slovak Prime Minister, landed in Moscow. His transit had to jump through the hoops of Hungary, Romania, and Georgia, as Estonia, Lithuania, and Latvia flat-out rejected his flights across their territories.
Now, you might wonder, why the cold shoulder? Well, these three countries, along with familiar faces Lithuania and Latvia, opted to keep Fico's plane grounded due to political reasons connected to his Moscow-bound trip. This decision fits nicely into their shared stance on abstaining from facilitating flights for leaders joining the grand celebration in Russia, commemorating the 80th year since the end of World War II.
Lithuania took the diplomatic high road, expressing "technical and diplomatic sensitivity" for the denial of overflight permission. Latvia wasn’t far behind, highlighting the "political sensitivity" of Fico's flight purpose. As for Estonia, while it has a valid overflight permit for NATO and EU members like Slovakia, it still chose to align with Lithuania and Latvia’s stance, some viewing it as a calculated move to impede Fico’s visit.
Fico’s Moscow trip and the Baltic states' actions echo broader geopolitical tensions, a piece in the puzzle of their stance to curb cooperation on visits that may be perceived as supporting or condoning Russia's international actions.
- Despite facing rejections from Estonia, Lithuania, and Latvia, Prime Minister Fico, having read the political landscape, skillfully maneuvered his route to arrive in Moscow.
- In a simplified explanation, most of the Baltic states denied Fico's flight across their territories due to the airspace being used for a visit associated with war-and-conflicts commemorations in Russia.
- During Fico's Moscow visit, the general news was abuzz with discussions on the diplomatic implications of Slovakia's ties with Russia and the Baltic states' decision to restrict his travels.
- After making his way through Hungary, Romania, and Georgia, Prime Minister Fico's arrival in Moscow spotlighted the intricate politics and delicate war-and-conflicts context surrounding the 80th anniversary celebration of the end of World War II.
