ADVERTISEMENT”No person can order me the place to head or to not cross,” Slovakia’s Top Minister Robert Fico retorted, after the Ecu Union’s overseas coverage leader warned the continent’s leaders towards travelling to Moscow for the yearly International Battle II victory parade.Identified for his Kremlin-friendly stances, Fico has time and again mentioned he’ll attend the army celebrations within the Russian capital on 9 Might to mark the eightieth anniversary of Nazi Germany’s defeat.
“Any participation within the 9 Might parades or celebrations in Moscow might not be taken flippantly at the Ecu aspect, bearing in mind that Russia is in point of fact waging a full-scale warfare in Europe,” Kaja Kallas instructed journalists in Luxembourg on Monday.”We made it very transparent that we don’t want any candidate nation to take part in those occasions at the ninth of Might in Moscow,” Kallas mentioned, calling at the member states to ship their representatives to the capital of Kyiv as an alternative.Fico discovered Kallas’ remarks “disrespectful”.”Mrs Kallas, I wish to tell you that I’m a sound high minister of Slovakia, a sovereign nation,” Fico mentioned in a remark. “No person can order me the place to head or to not cross.””I will be able to cross to Moscow on 9 Might,” he added.Fico mentioned he’ll trip to Moscow to honour the Purple Military squaddies who liberated his nation and different sufferers of the Nazis.The Kremlin has used the yearly Victory Day celebrations to tout its battlefield prowess, and Russian President Vladimir Putin hailed Russian troops combating in Ukraine as “heroes” ultimately 12 months’s match.The Slovakian high minister returned to energy remaining 12 months after his leftist birthday celebration Smer gained elections on a pro-Moscow platform. Since then, he has ended his nation’s army fortify for Ukraine, lashed out at EU sanctions on Russia, argued with Kyiv over Russian gasoline transiting during the nation, and vowed to dam Ukraine from becoming a member of NATO.In contrast to many Western politicians, Fico has now not visited Kyiv because the get started of the Russian full-scale invasion greater than 3 years in the past.His govt has confronted ongoing protests towards its insurance policies, maximum just lately relating to a draft legislation focused on NGOs, which has raised issues of a Russian-style crackdown.
