Slovak Premier claims Estonia is attempting to frustrate his Moscow trip

(MENAFN) Slovak Prime Minister Robert Fico has accused Estonia of attempting to block his planned visit to Moscow for the May 9 Victory Day parade, which commemorates the 80th anniversary of Nazi Germany's defeat. Estonia closed its airspace to Fico's plane on Wednesday, preventing him from using the route, despite Slovakia holding a year-round permit to fly through Estonian airspace for government travel.

Estonian Foreign Minister Margus Tsahkna explained that participation in events organized by Russia, which is currently engaged in the war in Ukraine, should be avoided by EU representatives. In response, Fico expressed frustration in a Facebook video, calling the airspace closure a deliberate attempt to prevent his participation in the Victory Day celebrations. He emphasized that the disruption could prevent him from attending the evening's wreath-laying ceremony and Friday’s parade.

Fico’s government is now exploring alternative flight routes to ensure he can reach Moscow in time for the events. Konstantin Kosachev, the vice speaker of the Russian parliament’s upper chamber, condemned Estonia’s actions as “hostile,” suggesting that the Baltic nations have not accepted the post-World War II outcomes and do not view May 9 as a victory day but rather as a day of defeat.

Earlier, Latvia and Lithuania also denied airspace to Serbian President Aleksandar Vucic’s plane, forcing him to take a more complicated route to Moscow via Bulgaria, Turkey, Azerbaijan, and Georgia.

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