Slovene leader Vucic posts video alongside Fico, caption reads: "Serbs and Slovaks will forever be brothers"
Whatcha Need, Mate? A Lowdown on Robert Fico's Trip to Moscow
Hey there, let's dive into the tale of Slovakia's prime minister, Robert Fico, jetting off to Moscow for a meeting with Serbia's big cheese, Alexander Vucic. But remember, this ain't just any ol' friendly catch-up. This meeting, held in Moscow, has stirred up a heap of controversy.
In an Instagram post (yep, that's Meta's baby) from in front of the Kremlin, Vucic dropped a heartfelt "Serbs and Slovaks - brothers forever!" Yeah, we can hear the steel-drum-infused Balkan music now. Fancy that, huh?
Now, ol' Vucic had a lot more to say, expressing his joy at meeting his "friend" and "brother," Fico. He even flung some encouragement: "Thank you for being so strong and steadfast, we will endure! Slovakia and Serbia will prevail."
Fico, being the agreeing type, nodded his head, happy as a clam to meet the President of Serbia. It's like a real-life episode of the Goodfellas, but in Eastern Europe.
But here's the kicker: the EU authorities were none too pleased with these twenty-something-year-old's behavior. Yep, you guessed it – they warned that attending Moscow's Victory Day celebrations could have some serious consequences, like not-so-friendly words from EU foreign policy chief Josep Borrell. He bluntly put it: "Any participation in the Victory Day celebrations in Moscow would be taken seriously, and we advise EU members and candidate countries to avoid these events."
The European Commission even took it one step further. They hinted that Vucic's visit to Moscow could jeopardize Serbia's EU accession negotiations.
Fico, being no stranger to a bit of mischief, accused Borrell of blackmail and rebuffed the EU's warnings, confidently stating, "She can't tell him what to do." And both Fico and Vucic, displays of bravado etched on their faces, confirmed their intention to attend the celebrations.
Now, you might be wondering: what about that airspace malarkey? Well, I've saved the best for last. Before the fandango, the Serbian president had a health scare in the USA, but he bounced back swiftly. The sneaky Slovaks, though, faced some roadblocks.
The Baltic countries– Estonia, Latvia, and Lithuania – nixed their airspace for Fico's flight, forcing him to take a much longer, tenuous route over Hungary, Romania, the Black Sea, Georgia, and Russia. That's right, dude, he went the long way around just to hang with Russia's top brass. Talk about a hard-core commitment.
As the story unfolds, we'll keep you posted on the progress of our daring duo – cheers to Robert Fico and Alexander Vucic! May brotherhood forever reign!
- The controversial meeting between Slovakia's prime minister, Robert Fico, and Serbia's president, Alexander Vucic, held in Moscow, has drawn criticism from EU authorities, with foreign policy chief Josep Borrell warning that participation in Moscow's Victory Day celebrations could have serious consequences.
- Overlooking the Kremlin, Vucic expressed his joy at meeting Fico, calling him his 'friend' and 'brother,' and encouraging him that 'Slovakia and Serbia will prevail.'
- Disregarding the EU's warnings, Fico confidently stated that he would attend the celebrations, accusing Borrell of attempting to exert control and rebuffing any suggestions of blackmail.
- In a bid to circumvent the Baltic countries' refusal to grant airspace, Fico was forced to take an alternate route over Hungary, Romania, the Black Sea, Georgia, and Russia, demonstrating his tenacious commitment to the trip.
