In his statement on X, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky reacted to reports of an assassination attempt on Slovakian Prime Minister Robert Fico earlier on 15 May.

Zelensky wrote on X that the attack on the Slovakian prime minister was “horrible” and emphasized that Ukraine “strongly condemns this act of violence against the head of government of our neighboring partner state.”

“Every effort should be made to ensure that violence does not become the norm in any country, form, or sphere. We sincerely hope Robert Fico recovers soon and express our solidarity with the people of Slovakia,” the president added.

Slovakian Prime Minister Robert Fico was shot on 15 May after an away government meeting and was taken to the hospital. Witnesses at the scene claimed that the prime minister approached people who were greeting him when several shots rang out, after which the head of government fell to the ground.

Media reports state that Fico was shot at by a 71-year-old man from the western Slovak city of Levice. The official account of Slovakian Prime Minister Robert Fico posted its first message after the assassination attempt on the official, claiming he is in “life-threatening” condition.