Fico is the only EU leader to travel to Moscow for the 80th anniversary Victory Day celebrations, according to multiple reports. EU officials warned against attending, with EU foreign policy chief Kaja Kallas stating that those who truly support peace should be in Ukraine, not Moscow, according to reports. Polish Prime Minister Donald Tusk criticized the leaders who attended, calling it unthinkable to celebrate Victory Day with those who are murdering children and civilians, according to reports.
Fico stated that his visit was to pay homage to Red Army soldiers who died liberating Slovakia, according to reports. In a video message, he said his objective was to create a relationship of 'normal, friendly cooperation' with Russia, according to reports. Fico has halted Slovakia's military aid to Ukraine, criticized EU sanctions against Russia, and vowed to block Ukraine's NATO membership, according to reports.
His Smer party won the 2023 parliamentary election on a pro-Russian and anti-American platform, according to reports. Demonstrators in Bratislava protested Fico's visit to Moscow. com, protesters described chanting 'We've had enough of Fico' and 'Slovakia is Europe'.
We've had enough of Fico, Slovakia is Europe, Stay there.
The 2025 Moscow Victory Day Parade featured 11,500 troops, and for the first time since 2012, Sergei Shoigu did not greet the troops as Minister of Defence, according to reports. Thirteen foreign contingents participated, including troops from Egypt, Laos, Myanmar, and Vietnam for the first time, according to reports. Unmanned aerial vehicles and loitering munitions such as the ZALA Lancet and Geran-2 drones were featured for the first time in the parade, according to reports.
In his Victory Day address, Putin emphasized Russia's role in defeating Germany and condemned attempts to distort the history of World War II, according to reports. He praised Russian forces fighting in Ukraine, stating 'we are proud of their courage and determination', according to reports. Serbian President Aleksandar Vučić also attended the Victory Day parade in Moscow, according to reports.
It remains unclear what specific sanctions, if any, the EU will impose on Slovakia or Serbia for attending the parade, and what was discussed in the bilateral meetings between Fico and Putin beyond the public statements.