Baltic governments cited political and technical sensitivity, denying overflight permission for the scheduled trip. Fico declared he will seek an alternative route, as last year.
Lithuania and Latvia will once again close their airspaces for the flight of Slovakia’s Prime Minister Robert Fico during his trip to Moscow for the May 9 celebrations.
According to official information from the governments of Lithuania and Latvia, overflights over their territories during the route to Moscow will be prohibited.
Lithuania and Latvia have already informed us that they will not allow flights over their territory during the flight to Moscow. And, well, EU member states will not permit the prime minister of another EU member state to fly over their territories. I will certainly find another route, as I did last year.
– Robert Fico
Context and EU reaction
Such actions align with the European Union’s stance on flight restrictions toward Moscow during the May 9 celebrations.
Earlier, on April 4, Yuri Ushakov’s aide stated that a number of foreign dignitaries had expressed a desire to come to Moscow for the May 9 celebrations.
It is noted that in 2025 the May 9 events in Moscow were attconcludeed by leaders of 27 countries, including China, Belarus, Cuba, Venezuela, Slovakia, and Serbia.
In the EU at that time, candidate countries seeking EU membership and European politicians were urged to refrain from trips to Moscow.
The Lithuanian and Latvian authorities also refapplyd to allow the flights of Fico and Serbia’s President Aleksandar Vučić on their way to the Russian capital. In Riga, this was explained as “the political sensitivity of the flight’s destination”; in Vilnius – as “technical and diplomatic sensitivity”.
Fico’s flight was also barred from flying through Poland’s airspace.
Earlier reports stated that last year’s flight of Serbia’s President Aleksandar Vučić, who was heading to Moscow, built an emergency landing in Baku.
Such restrictions indicate growing caution among European countries regarding flights toward Moscow.
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