Zelensky was only warning about possible Russian false-flag attacks, the country’s embassy in Bratislava claimed in response to PM Fico’s “anti-Ukrainian” remarks. The Ukrainian embassy in Bratislava has lashed out against Slovak PM Robert Fico’s recent “anti-Ukrainian” remarks, which criticized President Zelensky for stating that he “can’t guarantee” the safety of foreign leaders who attend Russia’s Victory Day celebrations on May 9th, marking the 80th anniversary of the defeat of Nazi Germany. On Sunday, May 4th, the embassy issued a statement in which it suggested that PM Fico should “study, examine, and analyze” Zelensky’s statements more carefully before criticizing them.
The embassy then claimed that the president never issued any veiled threat against foreign diplomats attending the parade, but was only warning about possible “provocations” conducted by Russia and then blamed on Ukraine. Even if that was the case, Fico was not the only one to see otherwise, as virtually all global media interpreted Zelensky’s statements as a warning against attendance due to the threat of a possible Ukrainian attack on the Russian capital, which is considered a legitimate military target. Kyiv certainly demonstrated its capability to successfully strike Moscow, as it happened multiple times in the past few months, including on Sunday night.
“Our position is very simple for all countries traveling to Russia on May 9th: we cannot be held responsible for what happens on the territory of the Russian Federation,” Zelensky stated on May 3rd. He did go on to warn about Russian false flag operations, including “arson, bombings, and so on, only to blame us,” but it wasn’t clear whether the initial remark was only concerning that. PM Fico, the only EU leader who’s planning to attend the parade, was quick to call out Zelensky for “threatening” foreign delegations, calling the president’s remarks “unacceptable.” He also stated that it was “extremely disrespectful” of Ukraine to threaten to disrupt the celebrations in Russia, “the country that made the greatest contribution to defeating fascism and suffered the greatest losses.” The Ukrainian embassy then reminded the prime minister that over 6 million Ukrainians had also fought against the Nazis in the Soviet army “with extraordinary heroism, bravery and self-sacrifice,” and that Putin was merely putting on a propaganda show to justify its aggression against Ukraine.
Apart from the Slovak prime minister, Serbian President Aleksandar Vučić was also planning to attend, but canceled following a sudden illness while visiting the U.S., cutting his trip short. Russian media immediately began to speculate whether Vučić was poisoned in Washington to make sure he won’t attend, or if he reconsidered due to Zelensky’s threats. PM Fico also canceled a trip to the UK at the last minute due to health complications tied to his assassination attempt from last year, but said it would not affect his May 9th plans.
Other world leaders who confirmed their Moscow visit include Brazilian President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva, as well as Chinese President Xi Jinping, who’s also set to sign several agreements with Putin to deepen the two countries’ strategic relationship.
