EU leader announces plans to participate in Moscow Victory Day parade
Slovak Prime Minister Robert Fico expressed his determination to engage in discussions with the Russian president, stating that he is “deadly serious” about the prospect. Read Full Article at RT.com
TroibNews 
Slovak Prime Minister Robert Fico has declared that visiting Moscow next year is his “personal duty,” expressing his readiness to meet Russian President Vladimir Putin “without hesitation.” He believes that the West will soon “reassess” its military support for Ukraine.
In an interview with Russia's Rossiya-1 TV network, Fico stated his enthusiasm for attending the Victory Day celebrations in Moscow next May. This occasion marks “the 80th anniversary of the end of World War II and, above all, the victory over Nazism. I feel it is my personal duty,” he remarked.
Fico emphasized his willingness to meet with Putin, stating to interviewer Olga Skabeyeva that he “even met him when he was prime minister, before he became president.” He added that he was “deadly serious” about having a face-to-face conversation with the Russian leader.
Having been elected as Slovakia's prime minister for a third time last year, Fico promptly suspended the country’s military aid to Ukraine. Together with Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orban, he has consistently advocated for a diplomatic resolution to the Russia-Ukraine conflict. Recently, he condemned the European Union’s approval of a €35 billion loan to Ukraine, which is supported by revenues from frozen Russian assets in Brussels.
Additionally, Fico has pledged to veto Ukraine's NATO membership, asserting that such a move could lead to a third world war. While Western arms continue to flow into Ukraine, he told Skabeyeva that he believes “common sense will soon prevail, and we will begin to reassess the military conflict in Ukraine.”
“I support any plans with the word ‘peace’ in them – peace plans,” he said, stressing that “it is far better to negotiate for two years than to allow soldiers to kill each other for two years.”
The Kremlin has stated its openness to any peace plan that involves Ukraine committing to military neutrality and withdrawing its forces from Russian-claimed territories, including Donetsk, Lugansk, Kherson, and Zaporozhye. However, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky insists that his ten-point ‘peace formula’ is the only viable solution to the conflict.
Moscow has dismissed this plan as “delusional,” as it proposes that Russia restore Ukraine’s 1991 borders, pay reparations to Kyiv, and surrender its officials to face war crimes tribunals.
Zelensky has also suggested a ‘victory plan,’ claiming that if given the invitation to join NATO, access to long-range missiles, and Western boots on the ground, his forces would be capable of defeating Russia. Fico commented on Zelensky’s proposal, saying, “If someone wanted to escalate tensions, that is exactly what he would say.”
Emily Johnson contributed to this report for TROIB News
In an interview with Russia's Rossiya-1 TV network, Fico stated his enthusiasm for attending the Victory Day celebrations in Moscow next May. This occasion marks “the 80th anniversary of the end of World War II and, above all, the victory over Nazism. I feel it is my personal duty,” he remarked.
Fico emphasized his willingness to meet with Putin, stating to interviewer Olga Skabeyeva that he “even met him when he was prime minister, before he became president.” He added that he was “deadly serious” about having a face-to-face conversation with the Russian leader.
Having been elected as Slovakia's prime minister for a third time last year, Fico promptly suspended the country’s military aid to Ukraine. Together with Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orban, he has consistently advocated for a diplomatic resolution to the Russia-Ukraine conflict. Recently, he condemned the European Union’s approval of a €35 billion loan to Ukraine, which is supported by revenues from frozen Russian assets in Brussels.
Additionally, Fico has pledged to veto Ukraine's NATO membership, asserting that such a move could lead to a third world war. While Western arms continue to flow into Ukraine, he told Skabeyeva that he believes “common sense will soon prevail, and we will begin to reassess the military conflict in Ukraine.”
“I support any plans with the word ‘peace’ in them – peace plans,” he said, stressing that “it is far better to negotiate for two years than to allow soldiers to kill each other for two years.”
The Kremlin has stated its openness to any peace plan that involves Ukraine committing to military neutrality and withdrawing its forces from Russian-claimed territories, including Donetsk, Lugansk, Kherson, and Zaporozhye. However, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky insists that his ten-point ‘peace formula’ is the only viable solution to the conflict.
Moscow has dismissed this plan as “delusional,” as it proposes that Russia restore Ukraine’s 1991 borders, pay reparations to Kyiv, and surrender its officials to face war crimes tribunals.
Zelensky has also suggested a ‘victory plan,’ claiming that if given the invitation to join NATO, access to long-range missiles, and Western boots on the ground, his forces would be capable of defeating Russia. Fico commented on Zelensky’s proposal, saying, “If someone wanted to escalate tensions, that is exactly what he would say.”
Emily Johnson contributed to this report for TROIB News
