Vucic and Fico Travel to Moscow Despite Ongoing Russian Atrocities in Ukraine
Serbian President Aleksandar Vucic and Slovak Prime Minister Robert Fico have traveled to Moscow this week, drawing criticism for aligning with Russian President Vladimir Putin as Russia continues to commit widespread atrocities in Ukraine.
Both leaders had previously been reported as unwell but appeared well enough to travel to the Kremlin-backed May 9 Victory Day parade — a military celebration increasingly seen as a symbol of Russian aggression and historical revisionism. The visit comes as Russian forces intensify their assaults on Ukrainian villages and towns.
Vucic arrived in Moscow on Wednesday evening despite bans on Serbian flights from several European countries. His flight was forced to reroute through Azerbaijan, landing in Baku and awaiting clearance due to what officials described as “hostilities between Russia and Ukraine” — a reference to recent Ukrainian drone strikes that disrupted air operations at multiple Russian airports.
The Serbian president documented his arrival with a video from Red Square, stating: “It took me longer than Churchill, Roosevelt, and Stalin to reach Yalta — but that’s the world we live in now.” He also posted a photo from Moscow’s airport with the caption: “After many years, back in Moscow.”
The trip comes in defiance of warnings from EU officials that participating in the Victory Day events could damage Serbia’s path toward European integration. Nevertheless, Vucic appears increasingly willing to prioritize ties with Moscow over alignment with Brussels.
Meanwhile, Slovak Prime Minister Robert Fico’s travel plans were delayed as Lithuania, Latvia, and Estonia closed their airspace to prevent his passage. According to reports, Fico’s plane departed earlier on Thursday but had not yet landed in Moscow at the time of publication.
Fico’s visit has faced domestic backlash. In Bratislava, activists from the NGO “Peace to Ukraine” unfurled a 70-meter banner near the airport reading “So long, Fico,” visible from the route taken by the prime minister’s motorcade.
We placed this banner where the Prime Minister could see it on his way to meet the dictator,” the group said in a statement. “With this symbolic gesture, we send a clear message: ‘No’ to Robert Fico’s participation in a military parade hosted by a regime committing war crimes in Ukraine.
Another of Putin’s lackeys, Hungarian PM Viktor Orban, chose not to attend the parade while potentially planning to join the war on Russia’s side.