Pro-Kremlin lawmaker from Fico's party visits Moscow, apologizes for EU policies.

Lubos Blaha, a senior lawmaker from Slovak Prime Minister Robert Fico's pro-Russian Smer (Direction) party, visited Moscow on Oct.

12. Blaha posted a four-minute Telegram video, walking across the Red Square, praising Russia as "beautiful, wise, and advanced," and calling for an end to hatred towards the country. He stated that he travelled to Russia in order to "give thanks for the liberation from fascism" and apologize for Western "Russophobia."

Blaha then paid tribute to Soviet commander Georgy Zhukov and commented on the "Slavic brotherhood" between Slovakia and Russia, repeating common Kremlin propaganda points used to justify the invasion of Ukraine. He also criticized the European Parliament's resolutions against Russia, and said that he opposes further military aid to Ukraine as well as Western sanctions against Russia, echoing Fico's stance. Fico halted military aid to Ukraine after taking office in September 2023.

The move was a stark reversal of Slovak foreign policy.

Following Fico's rise to power, Slovakia embarked on a path very similar to its southern neighbor Hungary, where Prime Minister Viktor Orban's Russia-friendly leadership has been a consistent thorn in the side of EU and NATO unity regarding Ukraine.

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"There can be no appeasement for Russia when it continues its attempts to solve the 'problem' of Ukraine's very existence," Ukraine's Foreign Ministry said.