EU Commission chief Jean-Claude Juncker is recovering from "painful attack of sciatica" he suffered at the meeting in Brussels, the commission spokesman Margaritis Schinas has said rebuffing "insulting" rumors of drunkenness.

"The president Wednesday night suffered from a very particularly painful attack of sciatica accompanied by cramps," EU Commission spokesman Margaritis Schinas told a daily briefing as cited by AFP. Sciatica is a medical condition that may cause pain going down the leg from the lower back.

The spokesman also blasted "insulting headlines" that were "exploiting president Juncker's pain." He added that Juncker made no secret about his illness and is currently on medication and feels better.

Jean-Claude Juncker: 'Incoming' EC chief under scrutiny amid 'cognac for breakfast' claims

The ex-Luxembourg PM, who is expected to be appointed head of the European Commission, has had his lifestyle reportedly become the topic of senior EU talks

Luxembourg's former Prime Minister is expected to be appointed as the head of the European Commission later today despite concerns over his lifestyle - most notably drinking.

Senior EU diplomats are alleged to have previously raised concerns about Jean-Claude Juncker's drinking habits at high level meetings, with one source claiming that he "has cognac for breakfast."

One Brussels official told the Daily Telegraph: "His alcohol consumption has been raised by a number of leaders since the parliament election."

There have been unsubstantiated stories about him apparently drinking at Eurogroup meetings when he was President, which have led some to raise doubts about his ability to effectively manage the impending much larger role.

According to the Financial Times, some officials say that while drinking does not affect his judgement, they think it could complicate matters relating to his management, including potentially adding to the disorganisation of late-night sessions.

Mr Juncker's successor in the top job of Eurogroup President, Jeroen Dijssebloem, publicly aired allegations about his predecessor's proclivities on a Dutch talkshow in January saying that he is a "heavy smoker and drinker," who ignored the rules on drinking in meetings.

According to the Luxemburger Wort, Mr Dijsselbloem also said on the chat show that no-one was ever incapacitated at the meetings he attended.

Mr Juncker has previously denied vigorously that he has any problem with alcohol.

"It is regrettable that spreading false information has become the norm in Washington, and [the] indictments are based on openly political motives," the ministry said on Friday, responding to the announcement by Deputy Attorney General Rod Rosenstein. "The question is for how long will they continue to flog this shameful comedy that disgraces the US."

Claiming that the people indicted are intelligence officers and hackers does not make them either, the ministry said, adding that the allegation of illegal entry into Democratic Party computers is not backed by any factual evidence.

"The goal of this 'information attack' is obviously to spoil the atmosphere prior to the Russian-American summit," the ministry said in a statement, referring to the forthcoming meeting between Russian President Vladimir Putin and US leader Donald Trump. "The influential political forces in the US, that are opposed to the normalization of relations between our countries and have spread open slander for the past two years, are desperately trying to make the best use of yet another fake," it added.

The ministry also warned that "sooner or later, the initiators of these lies will have to answer for the damage they have done to American democracy, undermining trust in it for their own personal gains."