Among Russian President Vladimir Putin’s guests on the rostrum at the Victory Day parade was Slovakia’s Prime Minister Robert Fico, and to whom Putin offered a warm welcome at the Kremlin. “Your unwavering stance on preserving the historical truth about the events of the Second World War and the Red Army’s role in liberating Europe from Nazism is highly commendable,” Putin said when they met bilaterally. “I would also note that Slovak fighters resisting the forces of Nazi Germany also made a contribution to achieving the Great Victory. We remember the Slovak National Uprising of August 29, 1944.”
Putin thanked Fico for the “careful attention” that the leadership and people of Slovakia are giving to the monuments and burial sites of Soviet soldiers who died in Slovakia during World War II. “Thank you very much for giving this matter such attention,” he said.
Putin also noted that Russian-Slovak relations have been “marked by active political dialogue and steady cooperation” for many years, but that “the current situation has been complicated by developments surrounding Ukraine and the broader foreign policy climate, including the confrontational approach that, in our view, is being imposed by both the EU and NATO.”
Fico, in turn, offered his congratulations to Putin on the occasion of Victory Day. “It is a great honor for me to be here, in the Russian Federation, for the celebrations of this meaningful day and date,” he said. “History has united us very tightly, and I do reject distortions of historical facts. I support the idea of sovereign Slovak policy extended towards anyone interested in having normal, standard friendly relations with the Slovak Republic.” He promised Putin, “we will tend to the cemeteries [where Soviet soldiers are buried] and take care of them.”
