MOSCOW, May 5. /TASS/. The European Union countries’ decision to boycott commemorative events marking the 80th anniversary of the Victory over Nazism is undiplomatic and inappropriate, according to Slovak Parliament Deputy Speaker Tibor Gaspar, who spoke to TASS.
Gaspar recalled that in April, Slovakia hosted celebrations commemorating the liberation of Bratislava. Diplomats from all EU member states, as well as ambassadors from Russia, Belarus, and other former Soviet countries, were invited to attend. He expressed disappointment that several EU diplomats declined the invitation, calling their refusal "discourteous and undiplomatic."
"The overall picture of cooperation does not look promising," Gaspar remarked, especially considering the significance of the anniversary of victory over Nazism. He emphasized that during future May 9 commemorations in Moscow, "everyone should be invited, and then it will be clear who chooses to accept or reject the invitation."
Brussels’ reaction
Earlier, EU High Representative for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy Kaja Kallas warned that European leaders and candidate country officials who attend the Victory Day parade in Moscow could face repercussions. However, she did not specify what actions might follow. When asked by Ukrainian journalists about the possibility of EU leaders visiting Kiev on May 9, Kallas urged frequent visits to Ukraine to demonstrate European support, emphasizing that such trips should be backed by concrete commitments of military aid.
Russian Foreign Ministry Spokeswoman Maria Zakharova dismissed the Ukrainian authorities’ invitation to EU leaders to attend May 9 celebrations in Kiev as "a theater of the absurd," and criticized Brussels’ warnings to European leaders considering visits to Moscow.