The Czech Republic has granted permission for Slovak Prime Minister Robert Fico to fly over its airspace en route to Moscow for Russia’s May 9 “Victory Day” parade next week, media reported, as several other European countries denied passage.
Slovakia’s request for an overflight permit has “been issued without any delay,” Adam Čörgő, spokesperson for the Czech Foreign Ministry, told local outlet Novinky on Friday.
The comment comes after Russian media reported earlier this week that Fico had been barred from using Czech airspace for his planned trip to Moscow, where Russia holds its annual May 9 parade marking the Soviet defeat of Nazi Germany in World War II.
Čörgő, however, said that “allegations about a ban are false,” according to Novinky.
Most EU leaders and representatives have boycotted the Moscow event since 2022, when Russia invaded Ukraine.
However, Fico, who maintains friendly ties with the Kremlin, attended the ceremony last May, becoming the first leader from an EU or NATO member state to do so since the start of the full-scale invasion, alongside Serbian President Aleksandar Vučić.
His decision drew sharp criticism in Brussels.
Fico has previously stated he would seek an alternative route for his Moscow flight after receiving refusals from the Baltic countries.
So far, it remains unclear which route he will take, as even passing through the Czech Republic will require approval from other European nations along the way.
Last year, when the Baltic states also banned officials heading to Moscow for the “Victory Day” celebrations, Fico was forced to take a longer route via Hungary, Romania, the Black Sea, Georgia and southern Russia.
He and Vučić were the only European leaders attending the ceremony.
Fico’s potential arrival in Moscow this year will come under increased scrutiny after the EU’s other openly Russia-friendly leader, Hungary's outgoing Prime Minister Viktor Orbán, suffered a landslide election defeat last month.
