Estonian Officials Criticize Slovakia's Fico Over Moscow Trip, Say West Ignored Baltic Warnings About Russia

Estonian Foreign Minister Margus Tsahkna and former President Kersti Kaljulaid have sharply criticized Slovak Prime Minister Robert Fico's recent trip to Moscow and accused the West of ignoring decades of warnings about Russian threats. The Estonian officials said Baltic states had been warning Europe about Russia for 20 years before the West began taking their concerns seriously after Russia's invasion of Ukraine. Estonia denied Fico's aircraft permission to fly through its airspace during his controversial journey to meet Russian President Vladimir Putin. The criticism highlights growing tensions between Slovakia's government, which has taken a softer stance toward Russia since returning to power, and other EU member states that maintain strong support for Ukraine and sanctions against Moscow. Fico, who leads the ruling social-democratic Smer-SD party, has been criticized by other EU leaders for his December visit to Moscow, where he met with Putin to discuss energy supplies amid ongoing concerns about Slovakia's dependence on Russian gas.