Fico Halts Electricity to Ukraine: Visegrád Group Fractures, Poland Ready to Help

Energy Crisis in the Heart of Europe

Slovak Prime Minister Robert Fico issued an order on February 23 to halt emergency electricity supplies to Ukraine — the ultimate escalation of a week-long dispute over the transit of Russian oil through the damaged Druzhba pipeline. The decision shakes the energy security of the entire region and exposes deep divisions within the Visegrád Group (V4).

Background: Drones, Oil, and Mutual Accusations

It all began on January 27, when a Russian air attack damaged pumping station infrastructure in western Ukraine, halting the transit of oil via the Druzhba pipeline (also known as Friendship) to Slovakia and Hungary. Kyiv consistently points to Moscow as being responsible for the damage and claims that repairs will take time. Fico, on the other hand, accused Zelenskyy of deliberately blocking supplies, questioning the Ukrainian version of events.

In response to the prolonged downtime, Slovakia and Hungary suspended diesel fuel supplies to Ukraine, and Fico issued an ultimatum: if oil transit is not resumed by February 23, Bratislava will cut off emergency electricity supplies to Ukraine, which is fighting against Russian aggression.

Ukraine Under Double Pressure

The stakes are enormous. Slovakia and Hungary together account for approximately 61 percent of Ukraine's electricity imports — particularly important in winter, when Russian missiles regularly destroy Ukrainian energy infrastructure. Fico admitted that in January 2026 alone, emergency energy supplies were needed twice as often as throughout the entire year of 2025.

Kyiv categorically rejected the demands as "blackmail and provocation." The Ukrainian Ministry of Foreign Affairs stated that

"ultimatums should be addressed to the Kremlin, not Kyiv"

and announced the launch of complaint mechanisms under the Association Agreement with the European Union.

Poland Ready to Fill the Gap

Against the backdrop of the Bratislava-Kyiv dispute, Warsaw has taken a clear stance. Minister of Climate and Environment Paulina Hennig-Kloska confirmed that Poland is ready to increase electricity sales to Ukraine. "Our operator is ready — it's just a matter of whether Ukraine will want or need to use it," the minister said. The declaration was supported by the grid operator PSE. Poland could partially offset any shortages, although experts caution that fully replacing Slovak supplies poses a serious logistical and technical challenge.

V4 Fractures, EU Intervenes

The crisis has revealed a fundamental contradiction within the Visegrád Group. While Hungary and Slovakia are adopting increasingly pro-Moscow stances — with Prime Minister Orban simultaneously threatening to block a €90 billion EU loan for Ukraine — Poland and the Czech Republic remain in solidarity with Kyiv. A Czech MEP noted that Poland and Romania are ready to replace Slovakia as energy suppliers for Ukraine.

The European Commission is not hiding its concern. Brussels convened an extraordinary meeting of the Oil Coordination Group and clearly warned: energy cannot be a tool for political pressure, especially against a country struggling with Russian aggression.

Approaching Anniversary — Symbolic and Strategic

The crisis erupted on the eve of the fourth anniversary of Russia's full-scale invasion of Ukraine (February 24), giving it a special symbolic dimension. For Poland — a neighbor of both Ukraine and Slovakia, and one of the pillars of support for Kyiv in NATO — the escalation is a worrying signal: Ukraine's energy security is inextricably linked to the security of the entire region. Warsaw cannot remain a passive observer of this game, in which not only oil is at stake, but the future of European solidarity.