Slovakia warns of assassination risk against PM during potential Kyiv visit

There would be a risk of an assassination attempt on Slovak Prime Minister Robert Fico if he were to travel to Kyiv, Slovak Deputy Speaker of Parliament Tibor Gašpar has said.

He added that Fico is not currently planning a visit, as it would be “politically and from a security perspective unacceptable,” including due to his criticism of Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy, according to Russian media.

“Although Zelenskyy officially invited Fico, he responded to such talks critically or negatively... He was not recommended to travel to Kyiv for security reasons, where, according to expert assessments, there could be a risk of an attempt on his life,” Gašpar said.

In February, Zelenskyy invited Fico to visit Kyiv during a phone conversation. Relations between the two countries have become strained after Ukraine halted oil transit through the Druzhba pipeline on January 27, citing technical damage.

Slovak authorities described the move as political pressure. Gašpar has also previously stated that Slovakia could block Ukraine’s EU accession bid.

By Jeyhun Aghazada