A fraternal meeting: Fico and Vucic recorded a video against the backdrop of the Kremlin
9 May 11:37
Despite calls from the European Union to refrain from participating in the May 9 military parade in Moscow, Slovak Prime Minister Robert Fico and Serbian President Aleksandar Vucic arrived in Russia to take part in the 80th anniversary of the victory. In the evening before the parade, they recorded a joint video in front of the Kremlin, demonstrating unity and friendly relations. Vucic posted the video on his Instagram page, "Komersant Ukrainian" reports
“Fraternal meeting with Slovak Prime Minister Robert Fico tonight in Moscow. Serbs and Slovaks, brothers forever!” Vucic said.
Vucic and Fico arrived in Moscow to celebrate the 80th anniversary of the end of World War II.
On the evening of May 8, Kremlin President Vladimir Putin hosted the leaders, who had arrived in Moscow for the May 9 celebrations, for dinner. After the dinner, Vucic said that he had many “cordial meetings” with leaders with whom he does not have the opportunity to communicate often.
The politician added that on May 9, he would have “the most important” meetings with Putin, as well as with Chinese leader Xi Jinping.
It should be noted that Fico arrived in Moscow on the evening of May 8 after the Baltic states banned his plane from crossing their airspace.
Fico was accompanied by politicians from his Smer-SD(Course) party, Erik Kaliniak, Lubos Blaga, Richard Gluck, and a member of the far-right Slovak National Party, Miroslav Radačovský.
The Slovak prime minister is scheduled to meet with Russian dictator Vladimir Putin, Chinese President Xi Jinping, Brazilian President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva, and a representative of Vietnam.
It should be added that the plane of the Serbian president made an emergency landing in Baku the day before due to a drone attack, but later reached the Russian capital.
Who will not come to Putin’s parade?
More than a third of Russia’s allies have refused to come to Moscow for the parade under various pretexts. It will be held on May 9.
Thus, despite the invitation, some countries refused to attend at all, while others limited their visits to low-level delegations.
For example, the leaders of Pakistan and India will be absent because of the military conflict between these countries.
Pakistan completely ignored the parade, and India canceled the already announced visit of Prime Minister Narendra Modi and will send a delegation from the Defense Ministry to Moscow. Modi also canceled his trip to Europe today.
Half of the leaders of the BRICS countries will not attend the parade either. South Africa will send its defense minister, while Iran will limit itself to an ambassador.
Indonesia, which joined the BRICS this year, will also send only its defense minister to the parade. The head of the UAE, which joined the BRICS in 2024, also did not announce his desire to come to Moscow.
And Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orban will not attend the parade. His administration said that such a visit is “not being discussed.” Only Slovakian Prime Minister Robert Fico will arrive from the EU.
