Slovak PM’s plane left grounded after incident at Brussels Airport

The aircraft of Slovak Prime Minister Robert Fico was damaged at Brussels Airport after he arrived to attend a European Union summit.

According to Caliber.Az, Fico disclosed the incident in a post on his Facebook page, describing the setback at the very start of the visit.

“A difficult summit in Brussels did not get off to a very good start. At the airport, a vehicle with a mobile stairway damaged our plane, so it is no longer able to fly, and we are forced to leave it here,” he wrote.

Fico noted that the atmosphere of the summit remained unpromising later in the day as well. He said the evening meeting with leaders of Western Balkan countries seeking EU membership was equally discouraging.

The Slovak prime minister also voiced support for Serbian President Aleksandar Vučić, who deliberately chose not to attend the summit as a form of protest against what he considers unfair treatment of Serbia by European Union institutions.

According to Fico, Brussels is applying a double standard in its enlargement policy. He argued that Ukraine, which in his view does not meet the necessary criteria, is being actively encouraged toward EU membership, while Serbia—despite having achieved a significant level of readiness—is facing artificially created obstacles on its accession path.

The final European Union summit of the year is scheduled to take place in Brussels on December 18–19. The meeting will focus primarily on mechanisms for financial support to Ukraine for 2026–2027, with particular emphasis on covering military expenditures. EU leaders also plan to discuss prospects for a peaceful settlement, including the development of reliable security guarantees for Kyiv in the event of a ceasefire.

By Tamilla Hasanova