Poland denies airspace claim amid Slovak delegation's Moscow visit
Poland did not permit the Slovak parliamentary delegation's aircraft, which was visiting the Russian Federation, to traverse its airspace. As a result, the MPs had to travel to Moscow via the Czech Republic and Germany, as stated by the Slovak National Party (SNS) leader Andrej Danko. However, the Foreign Ministry's spokesman refuted this claim.
I do not comprehend Poland's stance, but I accept it as reality – remarked Danko before departing for Russia.
The delegation includes the vice-chairman of parliament from the Direction party (Smer), whose leader is Prime Minister Robert Fico, Tibor Gašpar, three other MPs from this party, and an SNS MP.
Danko declared before departure that the purpose of the trip to Moscow was to provide Slovaks with insight into life in Russia.
I want to show that people live there too and that the Germans, French, and Americans conduct business there – he added.
Gašpar noted that discussions in Moscow will cover the natural gas supply following the cessation of Russian resource transit through Ukraine and the issue of peace in that region.
As per previous announcements, Danko and Gašpar are scheduled to meet in Moscow with representatives of the State Duma and some government members. The delegation is expected to return to the country on Wednesday, 15 January.
Danko hoped that the opposition would criticise and strive to understand "that this trip makes sense."
Foreign Ministry: we did not refuse passage
On Sunday evening, Polish Foreign Ministry spokesman Paweł Wroński stated that, according to the information he received from the ministry, the situation appeared differently.
The Foreign Ministry spokesman clarified that Poland did not block the Slovak side's passage. He explained that the documentation provided was incomplete and lacked the required note. When Poland requested the missing details to proceed, Slovakia informed them of a change in the planned route.
Mass protest in Slovakia
The opposition openly criticised Prime Minister Fico's visit to Moscow on 22 December, where he met with Russian President Vladimir Putin. After the meeting, the Prime Minister mentioned that the discussions focused on gas supplies and negotiations to end the war in Ukraine.
Dialogue with Moscow and the accompanying criticism of Kyiv triggered protests. Last Friday, 15,000 people protested in Bratislava, and demonstrations also occurred in other cities.
Further protests are planned for 24 January.
