Foreign state guests travelling to Russia for Thursday’s World War II commemorations will not be able to fly over the Baltic states of Estonia and Lithuania, the two countries said on Wednesday.
The two NATO nations, who are also EU members, have closed their airspace to heads of state and government travelling for Moscow’s “Victory Day” celebrations on Friday, Russia’s holiday commemorating the Soviet victory over Nazi Germany.
According to media reports, Latvia, the third Baltic state, has also banned overflights to and from Moscow.
“The use of Estonian airspace to go to Moscow for the 9 May parade is out of the question and Estonia does not intend to support the event in any way,” Estonian Foreign Minister Margus Tsahkna said in Tallinn.
Estonia has already denied overflight permission to Cuban and Brazilian planes carrying high-ranking officials.
Lithuania has also refused overflight permission to two government planes. Lithuanian President Gitanas Nausėda confirmed in Vilnius that Serbian President Aleksandar Vučić and Slovak Prime Minister Robert Fico were denied permission to cross Lithuanian airspace. He justified the decision with security concerns.
According to Serbian media reports, Latvia has taken similar action, though there was no immediate confirmation from Riga.
Russian Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Maria Zakharova accused the two countries of restricting the sovereignty of states in their foreign policy. She described the refusal as another outrageous case.
Only two European guests
Vučić and Fico are the only European heads of state and government planning to attend Friday’s celebrations in Moscow. According to media reports, the Serbian president is already en route to Russia via an alternative flight route, having made a stopover in the Azerbaijani capital, Baku, before continuing to Moscow.
Fico, on the other hand, is expected to travel on Thursday, according to information from Bratislava.
During World War II, Estonia, Latvia and Lithuania were alternately occupied by the Soviet Union and Germany. After the war, they remained forcibly incorporated into the Soviet Union until 1991.
For most Estonians, Latvians and Lithuanians, May 9 is not seen as a day of victory over Nazi Germany but as the beginning of renewed occupation of their homelands by the Soviet Union.
DJ Kamal Mustafa
I’m DJ Kamal Mustafa, the founder and Editor-in-Chief of EMEA Tribune, a digital news platform that focuses on critical stories from Europe, the Middle East, Africa, and Pakistan. With a deep passion for investigative journalism, I’ve built a reputation for delivering exclusive, thought-provoking reports that highlight the region’s most pressing issues.
I’ve been a journalist for over 10 years, and I’m currently associated with EMEA Tribune, ARY News, Daily Times, Samaa TV, Minute Mirror, and many other media outlets. Throughout my career, I’ve remained committed to uncovering the truth and providing valuable insights that inform and engage the public.
