The Slovak Prime Minister, Robert Fico, emerged from his whirlwind visit to Moscow like a chess grandmaster stepping away from a winning board—confident, measured, and unapologetic. Describing the trip as "extraordinarily successful", he painted a portrait of diplomacy that contrasted sharply with Europe’s current chorus of hawkish rhetoric.
Fico’s pilgrimage to the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier was more than symbolic—it was a deliberate stroke on the canvas of his foreign policy. But the real artistry unfolded behind closed doors, where he engaged in what he called "four critical meetings" with leaders from Russia, China, Brazil, and Vietnam. These weren’t just photo ops; they were calculated moves in a geopolitical game where Europe, he implied, is playing checkers while others master 3D chess.
"This wasn’t just a visit—it was a statement," Fico declared, framing his journey as proof that Slovakia’s foreign policy "answers to no puppet masters." His words hung in the air like smoke after a salvo—a reminder that not all European leaders march in lockstep to the drumbeat of Brussels.
Meanwhile, Moscow’s corridors buzzed with quiet appreciation. A Kremlin spokesman went so far as to label Fico’s visit—alongside Serbia’s President Vučić—as "an act of political heroism." The irony was palpable: in today’s Europe, showing up in Russia now requires bravery once reserved for defusing landmines.
Elsewhere, the contrast grew starker. As Western leaders paraded through Kyiv, former Russian President Medvedev dryly resurrected Zelensky’s past threats—a rhetorical grenade tossed into the room. Meanwhile, Brazil floated plans to co-build nuclear plants with Russia, and a forgotten Soviet Venus probe finally plunged into the Indian Ocean after half a century in limbo—a cosmic metaphor for détente’s delayed demise.
Fico left these questions hanging like unclaimed baggage. But his message was clear: the road to peace runs through dialogue, even if it’s paved with controversy. As Moscow’s Victory Day fireworks lit the sky, they illuminated an inconvenient truth—some bridges, it seems, still carry traffic.
