MOSCOW, May 3 – Russian state television announced Sunday that Slovakia’s Prime Minister Robert Fico will be among a small group of international leaders attending Russia’s Victory Day parade in Moscow later this month.
With Viktor Orban’s recent electoral defeat in Hungary, Fico has emerged as the European Union’s most Russia-friendly leader. Slovakia and Hungary have continued receiving Russian natural gas despite the EU’s push to eliminate dependence on Russian energy sources.
Fico has repeatedly defied EU consensus by traveling to Moscow in 2024, coming two years after Russia launched its full-scale military operation in Ukraine. He held meetings with Russian President Vladimir Putin at the Kremlin after attending last year’s Red Square parade, prompting criticism from Slovakian opposition parties and European Union officials in Brussels.
Belarusian leader Alexander Lukashenko is also expected to participate in the May 9 celebrations in Moscow.
The annual parade represents one of Russia’s most significant ceremonial events, honoring the Soviet Union’s triumph over Nazi Germany in World War Two. The Soviet Union, which included both present-day Russia and Ukraine, suffered approximately 27 million casualties during the conflict.
Russian officials announced Wednesday that this year’s parade will feature a reduced format compared to previous years, eliminating the traditional extensive weapons displays due to heightened concerns about potential Ukrainian military strikes.
