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Baltic States Block Airspace for Fico’s Moscow Visit
(MENAFN) Lithuania and Latvia have decided to deny Slovak Prime Minister Robert Fico permission to fly through their airspace on his planned trip to Moscow for Victory Day on May 9, according to reports.
Fico confirmed the decision during a public statement, saying that both Baltic countries had informed Slovakia they would not allow overflight access on the route to Russia. He described the move as unusual between EU member states but said it would not stop his planned attendance.
“Lithuania and Latvia have already informed us that they will not allow us to fly over their territory on the route to Moscow. So be it,” he said.
He added that alternative routes would be used, pointing out that similar restrictions had previously forced detours, including when Estonia blocked airspace access during an earlier trip.
“I will certainly find another route, as I did last year when Estonia torpedoed us,” Fico said, stressing that the restrictions would not deter him from what he described as paying tribute to those who liberated Slovakia during World War II.
Fico referred to the historical role of Soviet, Romanian, and Czechoslovak forces in the liberation of his country and said his broader travel plans would also include visits to sites such as Dachau and Normandy, which he described as part of a “pilgrimage for peace.”
The airspace denial reflects ongoing tensions between some EU and NATO states and officials traveling to Moscow for Victory Day events, particularly amid the wider geopolitical fallout from the war in Ukraine.
Fico confirmed the decision during a public statement, saying that both Baltic countries had informed Slovakia they would not allow overflight access on the route to Russia. He described the move as unusual between EU member states but said it would not stop his planned attendance.
“Lithuania and Latvia have already informed us that they will not allow us to fly over their territory on the route to Moscow. So be it,” he said.
He added that alternative routes would be used, pointing out that similar restrictions had previously forced detours, including when Estonia blocked airspace access during an earlier trip.
“I will certainly find another route, as I did last year when Estonia torpedoed us,” Fico said, stressing that the restrictions would not deter him from what he described as paying tribute to those who liberated Slovakia during World War II.
Fico referred to the historical role of Soviet, Romanian, and Czechoslovak forces in the liberation of his country and said his broader travel plans would also include visits to sites such as Dachau and Normandy, which he described as part of a “pilgrimage for peace.”
The airspace denial reflects ongoing tensions between some EU and NATO states and officials traveling to Moscow for Victory Day events, particularly amid the wider geopolitical fallout from the war in Ukraine.
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