Fico dares to break taboos

Slovakian prime minister travels to parade with Putin

"I am very interested in taking part in the official celebrations," wrote Fico.(Bild: APA/AP/Darko Vojinovic)

Slovakian Prime Minister Robert Fico, who can already be described as very Russia-friendly, dares to break the next taboo. On Wednesday, he officially accepted the invitation to the peace parade in Moscow - and will soon be traveling to Moscow.

He has accepted an invitation to commemorate World War II on May 9, 2025, the government office in Bratislava announced on Wednesday. It would be the first trip by an official representative of the Slovak Republic to Russia since its invasion of Ukraine in February 2022.

Fico has been "pro-Russian" since taking office
Slovakia, an EU and NATO member state, borders directly on Ukraine. Unlike Hungary, Slovakia has so far supported all EU aid to Ukraine without exception, as well as all sanctions against Russia. In striking contrast to this, the left-wing populist Fico has repeatedly attracted attention by publicly criticizing the Ukraine policy of the EU and NATO.

For example, he repeatedly called on the EU to broker peace instead of "prolonging the killing and destruction in Ukraine" by supplying weapons.

Telephone call with Donald Trump
Also on Wednesday, the government office in Bratislava announced that Fico had spoken to US President-elect Donald Trump on the phone. One of the topics discussed was how to find an exit scenario from the war.

Fico then wrote on Facebook: "I expressed my conviction that great expectations regarding the military conflict in Ukraine are linked to his person not only in Slovakia, but throughout Europe."

Fico ends committed support for Ukraine
In terms of population, Slovakia was one of the most committed military supporters of the Russian invasion of its neighboring country after it began. After his return to government in October 2023, Fico ended direct arms deliveries from army stocks. However, the Slovakian arms industry continues to produce military equipment for Ukraine on a commercial basis.