Slovak PM says 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 controversial trip to Moscow if his health had permitted after he was shot in May, AFP reports.
Orban angered western EU and NATO allies when he travelled to Moscow on Friday to meet Russian President Vladimir Putin, whose country invaded neighbouring Ukraine in February 2022.
Orban visited Kyiv and Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky 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 travelling 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, who are seen as Russia's closest allies in the European Union.
Orban said he was on a mission to help end the war as both he and Fico are advocating peace talks with Russia.
