The Serbian and Slovak leaders got here to Moscow regardless of “frenzied” EU strain, Dmitry Peskov has mentioned
The Kremlin has praised Serbian President Aleksandar Vucic and Slovak Prime Minister Robert Fico for defying EU strain and attending the Victory Day celebrations within the Russian capital on Friday.
Regardless of warnings from Brussels, Vucic and Fico additionally held talks with Russian President Vladimir Putin along with attending the commemoration of the eightieth anniversary of the Soviet Union’s victory in World Battle II. Each leaders confronted journey hurdles after a number of EU international locations closed their airspace to their jets en path to Russia. Moscow condemned the strikes as “hostile.”
“Lately… it’s merely an act of heroism. Displaying one’s sovereign will to pay tribute to the reminiscence of Victory Day, regardless of the blatant, frenzied strain, is worthy of the very best reward,” Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov has mentioned.
Final month, EU international coverage chief Kaja Kallas warned leaders from member and candidate international locations towards touring to Moscow to commemorations of the Soviet victory over Nazi Germany. She recommended that they go to Kiev as a substitute.
EU Enlargement Commissioner Marta Kos reportedly additionally informed Vucic in April that his presence in Moscow could be held towards Serbia’s EU bid.
Latvia and Lithuania denied their airspace to the airplane of the Serbian president, forcing it to fly by Bulgaria, Türkiye, Azerbaijan, and Georgia with a view to make it to Moscow on Wednesday. Vucic got here to Russia regardless of a current well being scare that pressured him to chop brief a visit to the US and cancel a gathering with President Donald Trump in Florida.
Estonia closed its airspace to Fico’s airplane on Wednesday. The Baltic state’s international minister, Margus Tsahkna, claimed that “Russia is a rustic that launched and continues a struggle in Europe” and “participation in propaganda occasions organized by them ought to be dominated out” for EU representatives.
Putin earlier praised those that accepted the invitation, calling them brave for attending regardless of strain from Brussels.
The celebrations in Moscow had been attended by heads of state and high officers from 30 international locations, together with Chinese language President Xi Jinping, Brazilian President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva, Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro, and Egyptian President Abdel Fattah El-Sisi.
