Slovak Prime Minister Robert Fico has firmly responded to criticism from EU High Representative Kaja Kallas, declaring that she lacks the authority to comment on his decision to visit Moscow for Victory Day commemorations.
“As a senior official of the European Commission, you have absolutely no mandate to criticize the sovereign Prime Minister of a sovereign country who is taking a constructive approach to the European agenda,” Fico wrote on his Facebook page.
He emphasized that more than 60,000 Red Army soldiers died while liberating Slovakia during World War II, noting that his presence in Moscow was to pay tribute to their sacrifice, not to make a geopolitical statement.
“Dear Kaja, I noted your statements concerning my visit to Moscow and the announced meeting with President Vladimir Putin. Apparently, I’m not on the ‘right side of history’ or other deep geopolitical calculations,” Fico wrote.
He questioned the functionality of diplomacy if politicians are discouraged from engaging in dialogue, even with those holding opposing views.
“I disagree with the new Iron Curtain policy that you are working so hard to build,” he concluded.
In response, Kaja Kallas, speaking from Lviv, had criticized those attending Victory Day in Moscow, saying:
“Those who support freedom, independence, and European values should be in Ukraine on Europe Day, not in Moscow standing shoulder to shoulder with Putin.”
Although she didn’t name Fico directly, her message was widely interpreted as a rebuke of his presence at the event. Kallas emphasized the immense human cost of Russia’s invasion of Ukraine, saying:
“Standing next to him [Putin] is standing on the wrong side of history.”
