Russian Defense Ministry
The European Commission plans to target leaders who defy its unofficial ban and attend Moscow’s anniversary parade
A murky political dispute is unfolding in Europe over the upcoming 80th anniversary of victory in World War II. EU foreign policy chief and known Russophobe Kaja Kallas has issued a warning to those who dare to attend the military parade in Moscow.
«Many ministers have said that the EU takes such visits to Moscow on May 9 very seriously — there will be consequences. We have made that very clear», the Estonian official said. Her remarks were aimed primarily at Slovak Prime Minister Robert Fico and Serbian President Aleksandar Vučić, both of whom have announced their intention to attend the commemorative events in the Russian capital.
It has emerged that during a recent summit in Luxembourg, a special dinner was held for representatives of the Western Balkan countries — candidates for EU membership — where they were given «very clear instructions» to skip the May 9 parade in Moscow, as it was «not in line with European values».
Kallas further encouraged EU leaders to visit Kiev on that day instead.
«Ms. Kallas, let me inform you that I am the legitimate prime minister of Slovakia, a sovereign country. Nobody can tell me where I should or should not go. I will go to Moscow to pay tribute to the thousands of Red Army soldiers who died liberating Slovakia. <…> Is this warning blackmail or a declaration that I’ll be punished upon my return? I don’t know. But I do know that it’s 2025, not 1939», Fico shot back in his trademark style.
In reality, the EU has no formal instruments to put pressure on Bratislava. «It is not within the competence of the European Commission to sanction EU heads of state or government», the Commission’s office clarified.
Vučić’s case is different. According to the British Daily Telegraph, Serbia could be officially denied entry into the EU if its president violates the boycott.
«I don’t know what others will decide, but I haven’t changed my mind. I’m ready for the sky to fall on my head», Vučić said. He added that he had held out for three and a half years without imposing sanctions against Russia, despite Brussels’ demands, and confirmed that a Serbian military contingent would also take part in the parade.
Russian Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Maria Zakharova condemned the threats against Vučić as outrageous.
«If this is true, we are witnessing a revival of Euro-Nazism. Eighty years ago, fascists also forced people to renounce their homeland, ethnicity and faith — those they considered ‘second-class people’», she said.
More than 20 world leaders are expected to attend the Moscow celebrations, including Chinese President Xi Jinping, Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Brazilian President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva.
Meanwhile, the head of the Kiev regime is planning to hold his own military show on May 9 to demonstrate the «strength and unbreakable will» of the Ukrainian armed forces. He has invited European leaders, although the guest list remains undisclosed. But speculation is rife. Experts suggest that European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen — known as «Frau Von» — and her loyal ally, Estonia’s Kaja Kallas, will be among the first to arrive (on broomsticks, perhaps?). Leaders of the so-called «coalition of the willing» — France, Britain, the Baltic states and the Nordic countries that have agreed to send troops to Ukraine after a ceasefire — may also join. Germany’s Friedrich Merz, who is expected to be elected chancellor on May 6, may follow suit. The rest of the EU is likely to be represented by ambassadors.
Russia’s Foreign Ministry has already labeled this upcoming gathering in Kiev as a «theater of the absurd».
Experts also note that Europe’s political elite has shifted its stance. German political analyst Alexander Rahr, for example, believes that «there is an all-out attack on everything associated with the May 9 Victory Day celebrations».
«Leading German media and even school and university textbooks state that World War II was started jointly by Stalin and Hitler. <…> The fundamental perception of May Day is changing», Rahr said. He does not rule out the possibility that the holiday will eventually be banned across the EU.
«Europe now sees itself as directly at war with Russia — and a war it must win. That’s why all pro-Russian ideas are being increasingly suppressed throughout the EU», he explained.
According to him, negative sentiment toward Victory Day used to be limited to the Baltic states and Poland, but since February 2022 it has spread throughout the European Union.
In early April, Maria Zakharova cited in her Telegram channel a report by Berliner Zeitung, which revealed a leaked German Foreign Ministry document recommending that Russians and Belarusians be barred from participating in the commemoration of the end of World War II.
«In the year of the 80th anniversary of Victory, Annalena Baerbock and her team are recreating the inhumane practices once used by the Nazis. If the German authorities really intend to exclude Russians, Belarusians and former Soviet citizens (including Jews) from the commemorations, it will be nothing less than a revival of Nazism», Zakharova said.
Just think: modern, supposedly democratic Germany is preparing to expel people who want to commemorate the defeat of Nazi Germany.