Slovak Prime Minister Robert Fico was forced to take the long way round on his trip to Moscow to attend Russia’s Victory Parade on Red Square on May 9.

His plans to accept Russian President Vladimir Putin’s invitation to attend the annual parade that this year commemorates the 80^th anniversary of the end of WWII got the kybosh after Lithuania, Latvia, and Poland all closed their airspace to his official aircraft, ignoring an agreement that should have given him automatic permission to cross their airspace.

Flying over Ukraine, another shorter route, is also not possible as it has closed its airspace since 2022 due to Russia's invasion.

Following Russia’s invasion of Ukraine three years ago, the EU banned all EU members from attending any public events in Russia. Fico has chosen to ignore the boycott as Slovakia remains dependent on Russian gas and Fico is a vocal critic of Brussels support of Ukraine and its plans to allow it to join the EU.

Fico’s plane took off in the afternoon of May 8 and will fly over Turkey and Azerbaijan before entering the Russian Federation via the southern republic of Dagestan, before flying north to Moscow where it is expected to arrive at 9:30pm local time.

A visibly furious Fico released a videoed public statement complaining the Baltics and Poland’s decision to cancel Slovakia’s overflight rights had screwed up his schedule and meant that he would make it on time for a slew of official meetings that had been prearranged. "This is exceptionally complicating our schedule...,"he said. The decisions were a "strange demonstration of sovereignty," he added.

Speaking to Slovak broadcaster RTVS, he said: “They closed the airspace above the Baltic countries and Poland for the governmental special plane. I take that as a strange demonstration of sovereignty, but if someone thinks they will deter me with such steps, they are very wrong.”

Fico is one of only two European leaders who will attend the event. Serbian President Aleksander Vucic arrived in Moscow on May 6 and posted a video of himself on Red Square early in the morning of May 7. Serbia is not an EU member, but is a candidate state, but following Vucic’s decision to defy the EU boycott of Russian events the candidature is now in danger, say experts.

Fico will be the only sitting EU leader to attend the ceremony where Russia traditionally shows off its latest hardware lionising the sacrifice the Soviet Union made in winning the war against Hitler.

This year the event carries additional important geopolitical overtones for Putin, who is trying to rally non-western support for Russia in its clash with the West amongst the leading countries of the Global South, while the EU is working hard to isolate him. By invading Ukraine and bringing down the inevitable harsh Western sanctions, Putin has taken a bet on the Global South Century and hopes Russia can make its economic future with the fast-growing markets in Asia and Africa.

A spokesperson for Latvia's foreign ministry confirmed that the country had denied the Slovak government plane access to its airspace, citing sanctions and EU policy toward Russia, AFP reports. Lithuania and Poland made similar statements, according to regional media.

Fico said he would continue to pursue diplomatic channels with Russia despite pressure from European partners. “We want peace, and we’ll seek all ways to bring it closer,” he said.