Fico pledged to be back at work in a month and said he felt "no hatred" towards his attacker, but he blamed the opposition: "It's evident that he only was a messenger of evil and political hatred."

Slovak authorities charged a man Thursday with attempting to assassinate the populist Prime Minister Robert Fico, saying the suspect acted alone in a politically motivated attack.

Robert Fico was shot multiple times and gravely wounded Wednesday, but his deputy prime minister said he believed Fico would survive.

A close ally of populist Prime Minister Robert Fico beat a pro-Western career diplomat to become Slovakia's new president, and succeed Zuzana Čaputová, the country's first female head of state.

Former prime minister Robert Fico campaigned as a left-wing populist, opposing continued military support for Ukraine and aligning with Russia against the United States.

The election was a test for the small central European country's support for neighboring Ukraine. The win by Robert Fico could strain a fragile unity in the European Union and NATO.

Director Michel Hazanavicius changed the name for the Cannes opener after Ukrainian protesters noted that the letter Z has come to symbolize support for Russia's war in Ukraine.

Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin said the missile defense system, which will be manned by U.S. service members, will arrive in Slovakia in the coming days.

Amid a steep spike in cases, more than 3.6 million Slovaks were tested for the virus — about two-thirds of the country. The prime minister hopes the testing can ward off a more severe lockdown.