The nationalist Fico, one of the few European leaders to have remained close to the Kremlin since the Ukraine war erupted, announced on Facebook that he had accepted an invitation from President Vladimir Putin.
“It is… with pleasure that I have accepted the official invitation of the president of the Russian Federation, Vladimir Putin’s invitation to attend these important celebrations,” Fico wrote.
The premier said that Slovakia’s government is “committed to the legacy of the struggle against fascism, to the historical truth of the Second World War and to the role played by the Red Army in it.”
When Fico took office last year, Slovakia refused to continue military aid to Ukraine, facing a Russian invasion since February 2022.
The premier has also been advocating peace talks with Russia, like his Hungarian counterpart Viktor Orban.
Earlier this month, Serbia’s President Aleksandar Vucic also confirmed his attendance at the Moscow commemorations.
The Kremlin has said it aims to make May 9 “the biggest celebration in its history”, amid a push of patriotic and military values to drum up support for the conflict in Ukraine.
European nations have passed several rounds of sanctions against Russia since the 2022 invasion of Ukraine as it seeks to isolate Putin.
