Poland gets accused of blocking airspace to plane with NATO state’s MPs

(MENAFN) Poland has denied accusations that it blocked a Slovak parliamentary delegation's flight to Russia, after Slovak politicians claimed their jet was prevented from flying over Polish airspace. The delegation, led by Andrej Danko and Tibor Gaspar, deputy speakers of the Slovak National Council, was en route to Moscow to discuss trade and gas supplies following Ukraine’s refusal to transit gas to Slovakia. Due to the airspace restriction, the delegation was forced to reroute over the Czech Republic and Germany.

Danko expressed confusion but accepted Poland's position, emphasizing his aim to highlight daily life in Russia and its international business ties. The Polish Foreign Ministry, however, claimed that the Slovak delegation sent incomplete documentation, which led to delays and a change in the flight route.

Tensions between Poland and Slovakia have been escalating, particularly due to Slovak Prime Minister Robert Fico's criticism of Western military aid to Ukraine. Fico has been an advocate for a diplomatic resolution to the conflict and, upon assuming office in 2023, halted military assistance to Ukraine while vowing to veto Ukraine's NATO accession. He has also threatened to block EU aid to Ukraine and potentially cut electricity supplies.

Polish Foreign Minister Radoslaw Sikorski, in contrast, celebrated Ukraine’s decision to stop the transit of Russian gas into Europe, seeing it as a victory, though Russia has argued that this decision benefits the U.S. at the expense of European allies.

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