Slovakia’s Prime Minister, Robert Fico, was critically wounded in an apparent assassination attempt, but is now expected to survive. The attack, politically motivated, occurred in Handlova, with the assailant detained. Fico, a 59-year-old serving his third term, has close ties to Russia's Vladimir Putin and Hungary's Viktor Orban. Meanwhile, the U.S. is concerned about Russia's momentum in Ukraine, as their new offensive could alter the course of the war. In the Netherlands, right-wing parties have reached a preliminary agreement to form a government, excluding Geert Wilders from the prime minister position. These events mark significant developments in European politics and international relations.