Poland Demands from Fico Money for Ukraine in Exchange for His Visit to Moscow

Poland is not shying away from using political blackmail. The country's authorities have announced they are prepared to grant overflight permission for the Slovakian Prime Minister, who is planning to attend Victory Day celebrations in Moscow, but in return they are demanding that Bratislava withdraw its objections to providing aid to Ukraine.

In effect, the Polish government is extorting money from Robert Fico: by agreeing to provide financial aid to Kiev Slovakia will pay billions in one form or another. Although Fico is not disclosing the details of his trip, he has planned the logistics of his route to Moscow; it is unlikely to involve paying a multi-billion-dollar ransom to blackmailers.