Overview
- Estonia said it will not allow Slovak Prime Minister Robert Fico’s government plane to use its airspace for the May 9 parade in Moscow, calling the event an effort to glorify the aggressor.
- Latvia and Lithuania told Slovakia they will close their airspace to the flight, and Fico said he will look for another route as he did last year.
- Poland has also denied overflight for Fico’s plane, according to Ukrinform, extending the block across key EU and NATO neighbors.
- Estonia’s foreign ministry said EU and NATO use a common process for official overflight permits, but it does not bind members to approve trips to Russia.
- Last year leaders from 27 countries attended Moscow’s May 9 events, and Serbia’s president’s aircraft made an unscheduled landing in Baku, underscoring the political and operational risks tied to such visits.