Following an assassination attempt in the town of Handlová, Slovakia's Prime Minister Robert Fico has garnered attention on social media, particularly for his pro-Russia stance amid the war against Ukraine. After a government meeting on Wednesday, Prime Minister Robert Fico sustained head and chest injuries after a person shot him in Handlová, central Slovakia, before being transported from the scene by his security detail. A woman at the scene told local media that she heard three or four gunshots and then saw Fico fall to the ground injured, before police arrested the suspect near the shooting site, amid panic among passersby.
**Political Positions**
Prime Minister Robert Fico won the general elections in Slovakia last October, despite facing criticism for his efforts to create political polarization in the central European nation. Fico is known for his strong support for Russia, in contrast to his strong criticisms of the European Union and NATO, and he frequently calls for a halt to military aid to Ukraine. The 60-year-old Fico had previously pledged that Slovakia would not send "a single piece of ammunition" to Ukraine, advocating for improved relations with Russia. He remarked then that "Slovakia and its people have bigger problems than relations with Ukraine," adding that Ukraine represented "a great tragedy for everyone," and he called for peace talks.
Fico's government has brought a noticeable change to Slovakia's foreign policy, frequently forming a government with parties that opposed military aid to Ukraine. Slovakia was previously considered one of Ukraine's largest donors in Europe. Slovakia became independent in 1993 after a peaceful split from the Czech Republic following four decades of Communist Party rule in Czechoslovakia, which ended in 1989.
