Poland denies banning Slovak delegation's flight to Moscow through Polish airspace
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The Polish Foreign Ministry denied claims by Slovak far-right lawmaker Andrej Danko that Warsaw did not permit a Slovak delegation to fly to Moscow through Polish airspace, the Polsat News channel reported on Jan. 12.
"We didn't refuse the flight; the Slovak side simply sent us incomplete documents... when they were asked to complete them, they informed us about the change of route," the Polish Foreign Ministry's spokesperson said.
The delegation, led by Danko, Slovak National Party (SNS) chairman and deputy parliament speaker, and Tibor Gaspar, a member of Prime Minister Robert Fico's Smer (Direction) party, arrived in Moscow on Jan. 12 to discuss Russian gas supplies to Slovakia.
Russian-friendly nationalist Danko earlier accused Warsaw of preventing the flight from entering its airspace, forcing the plane to travel over Czechia and Germany.
"I don't understand Poland's position, but I take it as a reality," he said.
The Slovak delegates are expected to meet representatives of the Russian State Duma and other government officials. According to Gaspar, the group will ask whether Russia's state-owned energy company Gazprom can continue to supply gas to Slovakia despite Ukraine's decision to halt the transit of Russian gas through its territory.
The stoppage of Russian gas flows via Ukraine has heightened tensions between Kyiv and Bratislava. Fico, already critical of military aid to Ukraine and sanctions against Russia, threatened to cut energy and humanitarian support after the transit deal expired.
Despite the EU's attempts to wean itself off Russian fossil fuels in the wake of Russia's full-scale invasion of Ukraine, countries like Slovakia and Hungary remain heavily reliant on Russian gas.
The delegation is expected to return to Slovakia on Jan. 15.
