Slovak PM Fico says he would have joined Orban on Moscow trip if healthy

Slovak Prime Minister Robert Fico said Friday he would have joined his Hungarian counterpart Viktor Orban on his trip to Moscow if his health had permitted after he was shot in May. 

Orban angered western EU and NATO allies when he traveled to Moscow on Friday to meet Russian President Vladimir Putin, whose country has been in conflict with neighboring Ukraine since February 2022.

Orban visited Kyiv and Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy earlier this week, just after his country had taken over the rotating six-month presidency of the European Union.

"I want to express my admiration to the Hungarian premier for traveling to Kyiv and Moscow without hesitating," Fico said in a speech. "If my state of health allowed me to go, I would have loved to join him." 

It was his first public appearance since the assassination attempt on May 15. 

Fico delivered his speech standing, though he appeared to have lost weight and his voice sounded weaker than before the attack. 

Both Hungary and Slovakia have refused to provide military aid to Ukraine under Orban and Fico.

Orban said he was on a mission to help end the conflict as both he and Fico are advocating peace talks with Russia.

"There are never enough peace talks and initiatives," Fico said on Friday. 

The 59-year-old Fico is recovering from serious injuries he suffered when a gunman shot him four times from close range after a government meeting in central Slovakia. 

The gunman, identified by Slovak media as 71-year-old poet Juraj Cintula, is being prosecuted on terrorism charges. He is in custody awaiting trial. 

Fico leads a three-party governing coalition of his centrist nationalist Smer-SD party, the centrist Hlas and the far-right SNS. 

He underwent two lengthy surgeries in hospital and was transferred for home treatment to the capital Bratislava on May 31.

On Friday, he made his first appearance at a ceremony marking the arrival of St Cyril and Methodius in former Great Moravia in 863 to spread Christianity among the Slavic people. 

His speech at Devin castle near the capital Bratislava lasted more than 15 minutes and was greeted by a standing ovation.

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