Slovak Prime Minister Robert Fico has pushed back against the European Union’s foreign policy chief, Kaja Kallas, who warned EU member state and candidate country leaders not to travel to Moscow to attend the annual Victory Day parade on 9 May—threatening ‘serious consequences’ for those who do.
In a post on X, Fico vowed to attend the event despite Kallas’s warning, stating that ‘it confirms we need a discussion within the EU about the essence of democracy.’ He cited the annulment of the Romanian presidential election results in December 2024 and the conviction of French opposition leader Marine Le Pen, as well as ‘Maidans’ allegedly organized by the West in Serbia and Georgia, as examples of Brussels’s interference and its lack of respect for both member states’ and other countries’ sovereignty.
‘Ms Kallas, I would like to inform you that I am the legitimate Prime Minister of Slovakia—a sovereign country,’ Fico reaffirmed, adding: ‘No one can dictate to me where I can or cannot travel.’ He reiterated that he would visit Moscow to honour ‘Red Army soldiers who died liberating Slovakia,’ just as he also plans to pay tribute to British Royal Air Force pilots.
‘Ms Kallas’s words are disrespectful, and I strongly object to them,’ Fico concluded his post, noting that he is among the few EU leaders who consistently advocate for peace regarding the war in Ukraine.
This year’s Victory Day parade carries particular significance, marking the 80th anniversary of Nazi Germany’s defeat. However, since Moscow launched its full-scale invasion of Ukraine in 2022, global participation in the event has declined sharply—not only among EU and Western countries, but also among Russia’s traditional allies, such as Armenia.
According to media reports, Russian President Vladimir Putin extended invitations to Serbian President Aleksandar Vučić and Prime Minister Fico. Serbia remains the most advanced candidate for EU membership, having completed negotiations on several clusters. Kallas’s warning, therefore, also applies to Vučić, who maintains traditionally close ties with Russia and President Putin.
Bosnian Serb leader Milorad Dodik—who currently faces two federal arrest warrants—has also announced his intention to attend, despite the travel bans those warrants entail. Reports also suggest an Israeli delegation is planning to participate in the parade.
Despite earlier speculation, both US President Donald Trump and the Kremlin have confirmed that he will not attend the event—nor will Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orbán.
Kallas—among the EU’s most vocal Russia hawks—proposed countering Moscow’s military display by encouraging EU leaders to visit Kyiv on 9 May. ‘I’ve also called all the member states, but also representatives of the institutions, to visit Kyiv as much as possible to show really our solidarity and that we are with Ukraine,’ she said.
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