Tibor Gašpar, a Smer lawmaker, speaking at a conference in Volgograd, Russia, in late April. (source: Facebook - Tibor Gašpar)
As Russia presses ahead with its war against Ukraine, a delegation from Slovakia’s parliament stood alone among NATO and EU countries at a commemoration in Volgograd, a city that once symbolised Soviet resistance but now plays host to Kremlin-backed narratives.
Leading the visit was Tibor Gašpar (Smer), deputy speaker of Slovakia’s parliament and a member of the ruling Smer party, accompanied by his colleague Richard Glück (Smer), head of the parliamentary security committee. Their five-day trip, from 27 April to 1 May, was revealed only after their return, when Gašpar posted a short statement online.
In Volgograd — formerly known as Stalingrad — Gašpar spoke at a conference attended by Russian President Vladimir Putin, Belarusian leader Alexander Lukashenko, and delegations from across Russia’s sphere of influence. Addressing the audience in Russian, he spoke of the horrors of the Second World War, warning against “rewriting history” and praising the Red Army for liberating Europe. But he did not mention Russia’s ongoing assault on Ukraine. The deputy speaker also omitted a crucial fact: that the Second World War began with the joint invasion of Poland by Nazi Germany and the Soviet Union, following the Molotov-Ribbentrop Pact.
Photos and video from the event, published on the Russian parliament’s website, show Gašpar as the only representative from a NATO or EU nation, according to the Slovak daily Denník N. Neither Gašpar nor Glück responded to questions about whether they held bilateral talks with Russian officials or discussed the war in Ukraine.
The Slovak politician drew on personal history during his speech, recalling his time living in Volgograd in the 1980s and even mentioning how he met his wife there. He also condemned hatred and invoked memories of last year’s assassination attempt on Prime Minister Robert Fico, saying such violence stemmed from opposition to Fico’s “sovereign international policy”.
Though Gašpar declared “stop war, stop fascism, stop hatred”, his criticism stopped short of acknowledging Russia’s brutal invasion of Ukraine, now in its third year. In addition, Smer party members have defended Daniel Bombic, an extremist with a history of performing Nazi salutes and associating with figures from the neo-Nazi scene.
Observers see the appearance as deeply symbolic. Ondřej Soukup, a Czech journalist and Russia expert, described Gašpar’s presence as a sign of alignment with the Kremlin’s worldview. In contemporary Russia, Soukup said, participation in such events serves as a “measure of loyalty”.
The forum took place amid broader efforts by Russia to recast its narrative around the Second World War and beyond. Putin used his speech to call for a “fairer multipolar world order”, while Volgograd authorities recently renamed the city’s airport to Stalingrad — a move veterans and pro-war groups reportedly demanded.
Prime Minister Fico is expected to travel to Moscow for the anniversary on 9 May, likely as the only EU leader to do so. In mid-April, the European Union’s foreign policy chief, Kaja Kallas, warned that attendance at the celebrations would not be taken lightly and urged European leaders to visit Kyiv instead.
