Fico shames EU’s no-show in Beijing
Slovak Prime Minister Robert Fico has criticized the other EU leaders for skipping China’s World War II commemoration events, calling their absence “embarrassing.”
Fico made the remarks before arriving in Beijing on Tuesday, where he met Chinese President Xi Jinping, Russian President Vladimir Putin, and other world leaders. China’s grand Victory Parade on Wednesday marks the 80th anniversary of Imperial Japan’s surrender.
The Slovak leader stressed the importance of honoring every “single victim of the struggle against fascism.”
He argued that a “new world order” is taking shape, with fresh rules and a new balance of power that he described as vital for global stability. Joining such discussions, he said, means encouraging dialogue rather than “playing the role of an offended little child,” a stance he accused EU leaders of taking.
Fico joined dozens of leaders to attend the commemorations, including Putin, Serbian President Aleksandar Vucic, and North Korean leader Kim Jong-un.
The Slovak and Serb leaders traveled to Moscow for the May 9 Victory Day parade on Red Square, marking the Soviet Union’s defeat of Nazi Germany – a move that drew sharp criticism from some Western officials.
China’s war with Imperial Japan, which began in 1937, is estimated to have claimed 15 to 20 million lives, including both soldiers from rival communist and nationalist forces as well as civilians. The Soviet Union lost an estimated 27 million troops and civilians defeating Nazi Germany.
