Overview

• Slovak Prime Minister Robert Fico is en route to Moscow for Russia's Victory Day parade, making him the sole EU leader to attend the event.
• Lithuania, Latvia, and Estonia barred Fico's plane from their airspace, forcing a circuitous route through Hungary, Romania, the Black Sea, Georgia, and Dagestan.
• Fico plans to meet Russian President Vladimir Putin, Chinese President Xi Jinping, and other dignitaries during his visit to Moscow.
• The trip highlights Fico's pro-Russian policy shift, which includes halting military aid to Ukraine and deepening Slovakia's reliance on Russian gas.
• EU chief diplomat Kaja Kallas publicly urged Fico to reconsider, but he dismissed the plea, stating, 'Nobody will tell me where to go and where not to go.'