Slovak Prime Minister Robert Fico has accepted an invitation from Russian President Vladimir Putin to take part in the celebration of the 80th anniversary of the defeat of Nazism next year.
“The government of Slovakia puts full value in the legacy of the fight against fascism, the historical truth about the Second World War and the role played by the Red Army in it,” Fico wrote on Facebook on Wednesday, confirming that his office had received a formal invitation from the Kremlin.
The USSR played an “irreplaceable role” in defeating the Nazis, so it is “natural” for the head of the Slovak government to have a “keen interest” in representing Bratislava during Russia’s celebrations, which will culminate on May 9, he added.
Fico’s stance dissents from that of most other Western nations, which are backing Ukraine in its armed conflict with Russia. The US and its allies have made a point of snubbing Moscow during their commemorations of historic events, including the Allied landing in Normandy marked in June and the liberation of the prisoners of the Auschwitz death camp by Soviet troops marked in January.
Russia has long accused the West of distorting and even falsifying history for the sake of furthering its geopolitical ambitions and to appeal to the sensibilities of Baltic states, which consider as national heroes local militant forces that allied with the Axis powers during World War II to fight against the USSR.
Fico has been highly critical of the Western handling of the Ukraine conflict, including attempts to isolate Russia. Last month he promised to visit Moscow next May for Victory Day in an interview with Russian media.