Slovakia's Fico appointed prime minister for fourth time

Slovakia's newly appointed Prime Minister Robert Fico attends the new cabinet's inauguration, at the Presidential Palace in Bratislava, Slovakia, October 25, 2023. REUTERS/Radovan Stoklasa

(Reuters) -Leftist leader Robert Fico was appointed Slovakia's prime minister on Wednesday for the fourth time, after pledging in his election campaign to end military support for Ukraine and criticising sanctions on Russia.

President Zuzana Caputova appointed Fico and his cabinet after his SMER-SSD party won the Sept. 30 election and formed a coalition with the centre-left HLAS and nationalist SNS parties.