Fico's Visit to Russia on Victory Day: Delivering Zelenskyy's Letter, Not Attending Military Parade
Slovak Prime Minister Fico is scheduled to travel to Moscow on May 9 to deliver a letter from Ukrainian President Zelenskyy to Russian authorities.
Ľastislav Hovánek, State Secretary at the Slovak Ministry of Foreign Affairs, confirmed that Fico will hand over Zelenskyy’s written message to the Russian leadership.
Fico plans to hold a brief meeting with Russian President Vladimir Putin and lay flowers at the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier. Although invited to attend the Victory Day military parade, he will not participate.
Hovánek said that Prime Minister Fico may receive from Putin Russia’s stance and conceptual proposals regarding ending the conflict.
Micro-commentary
Fico has changed. This time, acting as an intermediary, he has established an informal backchannel between Ukraine and Russia. His itinerary carefully balances diplomacy: meeting with Russian high-ranking officials, paying tribute by laying flowers, yet deliberately avoiding the military parade. This approach maintains contact with Russia while respecting Western and Ukrainian positions, aiming to probe Russia’s ceasefire proposals and preserve room for future mediation.
Original source: toutiao.com/article/1864577430284288/
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