Slovak Prime Minister Robert Fico says the celebration should have nothing to do with present-day conflicts
Slovak Prime Minister Robert Fico has announced his intention to visit Moscow to celebrate the 80th anniversary of the defeat of Nazi Germany. Fico, speaking on Slovakia’s RTVS radio, emphasized that the event should not be connected to current conflicts.
“Who will stop me next year, when it will be the 80th anniversary of the end of World War II, from going to a peaceful demonstration in Moscow? I think I will go. And why wouldn’t I go. What does it have to do with the present time?” Fico stated in response to a question about his potential attendance.
Fico declared that he would not let anyone forget that “freedom came from the East,” seemingly referring to the liberation of Slovakia from Nazi occupation by the Soviet Army in 1945. Regarding the current conflict in Ukraine, he expressed his confusion about Ukraine’s continued resistance against Russia.
Since his return to power in 2023, Fico has halted Slovakia’s weapons shipments to Ukraine. He has consistently advocated for a diplomatic solution to the conflict. At a recent press conference, the Prime Minister vowed to do everything possible to restore relations with Moscow once the fighting ceases.
Earlier this month, Fico sharply criticized the West for condemning the atrocities committed by the Third Reich during WWII while ignoring the use of Nazi symbols by Ukrainian troops. Speaking at the former site of Sered concentration camp in Slovakia, he urged the international community to stop “silently tolerating” the use of Nazi insignia by Kiev’s forces.
Moscow has repeatedly attempted to draw global attention to the growing influence of Nazi ideology among the Ukrainian population, and has listed the “denazification” of Ukraine as one of the objectives of its military operation launched in February 2022.
Dmitry Medvedev, deputy chairman of the Russian Security Council, accused the West earlier this year of nurturing and supporting modern Nazis by backing Ukraine in its conflict with Russia. Russian President Vladimir Putin recently condemned the West for “forgetting the lessons of World War II” and “mocking history” by justifying the actions of current followers of the Nazis.