Slovak PM Fico will not attend EU summit due to health issues

(Reuters) -Slovak Prime Minister Robert Fico will not take part in a European Union summit in Copenhagen on Wednesday, his office said, citing health reasons related to the assassination attempt on him last year.

"The prime minister apologised for not attending... due to aggravated health problems related to the assassination attempt," the government office said.

Fico was shot four times at close range in the abdomen in 2024, leaving him in critical condition and needing surgery.

He returned to work only months after the attack.

Dennik N online newspaper reported that Fico had attended a morning government session. Fico has cancelled other appearances in recent months.

EU leaders, meeting in Copenhagen, were set to discuss proposals for a "drone wall" and other defence issues, along with proposals to use Russian assets frozen in Europe as part of its response to Russia's 2022 invasion of Ukraine.

Fico has argued against military aid to Ukraine and has kept relations open with Russia, from which it receives energy supplies.

Fico said this month that Slovakia could not support more EU sanctions against Russia until it gets EU proposals to align climate targets with the needs of carmakers and heavy industry and measures to tackle high electricity prices in the bloc.

(Reporting by Jason Hovet in Prague, editing by Ed Osmond)