(MENAFN) The Kremlin has praised Serbian President Aleksandar Vucic and Slovak Prime Minister Robert Fico for their decision to attend the Victory Day celebrations in Moscow, despite significant pressure from the European Union. Both leaders also held talks with Russian President Vladimir Putin during the 80th anniversary commemorations of the Soviet Union’s victory over Nazi Germany.

Vucic and Fico faced travel challenges as several EU countries closed their airspace to their planes. Moscow condemned these actions as “hostile,” with Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov calling their attendance an act of heroism, noting their courage to honor the memory of Victory Day despite intense pressure.

EU officials, including foreign policy chief Kaja Kallas, had warned leaders from both EU member states and candidate countries not to attend the event, suggesting they visit Kiev instead. EU Enlargement Commissioner Marta Kos had also indicated that Vucic’s presence at the Moscow celebrations could negatively affect Serbia’s EU accession prospects.

Vucic's plane was forced to reroute through Bulgaria, Türkiye, Azerbaijan, and Georgia after Latvia and Lithuania denied it access to their airspace. Despite a recent health issue that cut short his US trip, Vucic continued his journey to Moscow. Similarly, Slovakia’s Fico was denied airspace by Estonia, with officials claiming that participation in Russian events was inappropriate due to the ongoing war in Ukraine.

Russian President Vladimir Putin has praised the leaders who attended the event, calling them courageous for defying pressure from Brussels. The Victory Day celebrations were attended by numerous world leaders, including Chinese President Xi Jinping, Brazilian President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva, Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro, and Egyptian President Abdel Fattah El-Sisi.

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