The prime minister of Slovakia Robert Fitzo said he would travel to Moscow next year to attend commemorations marking the 80th anniversary of victory in World War II, according to Bloomberg.

The staunch critic of sanctions against Moscow has repeatedly said he wants to normalize relations with Russia once the war in Ukraine ends. In a statement released on Wednesday, Fico said he was “delighted” to accept the Russian president’s invitation Vladimir Putin.

The Slovak prime minister came under fire from rivals last month for an interview on Russian state television in which he criticized other EU governments for escalating the war by supplying arms to Kiev and for a lack of peace initiatives.

Ficho halted military aid to Ukraine after returning to power last year. Despite this, the country, which is also a member of NATO, continues to export ammunition to Kiev on a commercial basis.

So far, he is the only European Union leader to have said he will attend the Moscow parade, although Aleksandar Vucic, president of EU candidate Serbia, has said he also plans to travel to the Russian capital in May.

“If nothing happens, I will gladly attend the event”Vucic told reporters last week.