The European Parliament has opened an investigation into a recent visit by several of its members to Moscow, where they attended Russia’s Victory Day parade. The announcement came via a social media post from Cypriot MEP Fidias Panayiotou on X.
“I must tell you that our visit to Moscow with other MEPs was not well received by the European Parliament—it has already launched an investigation against us,” the post states.
Panayiotou went on to describe Russians as “brothers,” highlighting shared religious and moral values between the Russian and Greek peoples.
The trip involved five MEPs from Slovakia, Germany, the Czech Republic, and Cyprus. According to reports, the delegation traveled to Moscow as a form of protest against the EU and European Parliament’s stance on Russia. During their visit, they held discussions with senior Russian officials, including State Duma Chairman Vyacheslav Volodin.
The controversy surrounding the visit comes amid ongoing tensions between the EU and Russia. On May 11, Slovak Prime Minister Robert Fico addressed criticism of the trip, stating his intent to push back against EU foreign policy chief Kaja Kallas.
Fico said that he planned to explain to Kallas that “she had no right to dictate how the leader of a sovereign country should act.” He further asserted, “Kallas is not his superior and that she should focus on the European Union’s foreign policy.”
