EU Countries Block Serbian, Slovak Leaders' Flights to Moscow's 9 May Victory Day Parade on Red Square

Several European Union countries, including Estonia, Latvia, and Lithuania, have closed their airspace to flights carrying Serbian President Aleksandar Vučić and Slovak Prime Minister Robert Fico to Moscow for the 9 May parade on Red Square, marking the 80th anniversary of the Soviet victory in World War II. The closures are seen as an effort to prevent their attendance at the Victory Day parade. Estonia's Foreign Ministry explicitly stated that it would not support the event in any way, banning the use of its airspace for any delegations flying to Moscow for the celebrations. Slovak PM Robert Fico described Estonia's refusal to allow his plane to use its airspace as a deliberate attempt to derail his trip to Russia, referring to the event as the Great Victory. Despite the airspace restrictions, Slovak Prime Minister Robert Fico successfully arrived in Moscow to participate in the Victory Day celebrations. His flight took an alternative route through the airspace of Hungary, Romania, and Georgia, flying over the Black Sea.