Slovak Prime Minister Robert Fico is reported to be among a small number of world leaders attending a reduced Victory Day parade in Moscow on May 9. Seen as one of the EU's most pro‑Russian leaders after Viktor Orbán's recent defeat, Fico's past visit to Moscow and meeting with Vladimir Putin drew criticism at home and in Brussels. The Kremlin says this year's parade will be scaled back and will not include large weapons displays, citing heightened security concerns.
Slovakia's Robert Fico Reportedly To Attend Moscow Victory Day Parade Amid EU Tensions
Slovakia's Prime Minister Robert Fico on the day of a summit of the European Union and regional partners' leaders in Nicosia (Lefkosia), Cyprus, April 24, 2026. REUTERS/Yves Herman/File photo
Russian state television reported on May 3 that Slovakia's Prime Minister, Robert Fico, is among a small group of foreign leaders expected to attend a scaled-down Victory Day parade in Moscow on May 9.
Following the recent election defeat of Hungary's Viktor Orbán, Fico is widely regarded as the European Union's most pro‑Russian leader. Both Hungary and Slovakia have continued to receive Russian gas despite EU efforts to reduce the bloc's dependence on Russian energy supplies.
Fico broke with the EU consensus by visiting Moscow in 2024, two years after Russia's full-scale invasion of Ukraine, and met Russian President Vladimir Putin at the Kremlin following last year's Red Square parade. That visit drew criticism from Slovakia's opposition and from officials in Brussels.
Belarusian President Alexander Lukashenko is also expected to attend the May 9 commemorations, the report said.
The Victory Day parade commemorates the Soviet Union's defeat of Nazi Germany in World War Two, a conflict that the USSR — including territories now within modern Russia and Ukraine — suffered around 27 million deaths.
The Kremlin has said this year's Moscow parade will be a slimmed-down affair, without the usual large public display of weaponry, citing an increased threat of potential attacks from Ukraine. Russian state TV's report was carried by international agencies.
Reporting note: Original reporting by Reuters.
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