Poland Ready to Step Up if Fico Cuts Off Energy to Ukraine

Poland has expressed its readiness to increase electricity exports to Ukraine should Slovak Prime Minister Robert Fico act on his recent threat to halt reserve electricity supplies to Ukraine.

According to Bloomberg, a senior Polish official, speaking on condition of anonymity due to the sensitive nature of the discussions, confirmed that Warsaw is prepared to boost domestic energy production to address any potential imbalance in Ukraine’s power grid caused by Slovakia’s actions.

The current agreement governing the transit of Russian gas through Ukraine, which was signed in December 2019, is set to expire on December 31, 2024. Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy has previously stated that Ukraine will not permit the transit of Russian gas after this date, citing its role in funding Moscow’s military efforts.

Ukraine’s energy infrastructure has faced significant challenges over the past year, with intensified missile and drone attacks from Russia destroying nearly half of its energy generation capacity. These attacks have forced Ukraine to rely heavily on electricity imports, including from Slovakia.

Earlier, Slovak Prime Minister Robert Fico suggested that Slovakia might suspend electricity supplies to Ukraine if Kyiv halts the transit of Russian gas to Central Europe, emphasizing the potential for reciprocal measures after the current gas transit agreement expires at the end of the year.

President Volodymyr Zelenskyy criticized Slovak Prime Minister Robert Fico’s threat to halt electricity imports to Ukraine, calling it an alignment with Russian efforts to deepen Ukraine’s energy crisis and warning that such actions could harm Slovakia’s standing within the European community.