Tusk says Zelenskyy “went too far” amid dispute over EU aid as Fico signals potential veto

Polish Prime Minister Donald Tusk said Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy had “gone too far” with recent remarks directed at Hungary’s leadership, highlighting growing tensions within Europe over support for Ukraine and the ongoing war with Russia. His comments came as Slovak Prime Minister Robert Fico signaled that Slovakia could block a proposed European Union financial package for Kyiv if energy disputes with Ukraine remain unresolved.

Tusk made the remarks during a press conference in Warsaw alongside the Dutch prime minister, addressing a recent exchange between Zelenskyy and Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orbán. The Polish leader said the Ukrainian president’s comments toward Orbán had crossed a line, although he stressed that tensions between Hungary and Ukraine stem from broader political disagreements.

What triggered the dispute

The controversy followed Zelenskyy’s criticism of Hungary for blocking a proposed €90-billion European Union support package for Ukraine. Speaking to journalists last week, the Ukrainian president said he hoped “one particular person” in the EU would stop obstructing the aid package, adding that otherwise Ukraine could provide that person’s address to its armed forces so they could “speak his language.”

The remarks were widely interpreted as a pointed reference to Orbán, whose government has repeatedly opposed new EU financial and military assistance for Kyiv.

Several European officials reacted cautiously to the statement, with Tusk describing the language as excessive while maintaining Poland’s strong support for Ukraine.

Energy dispute behind the political tensions

The political clash is closely linked to an ongoing dispute over energy supplies in Central Europe. Hungary and Slovakia have been pressing Ukraine to restore oil flows through the Druzhba pipeline, which carries Russian crude to refineries in both countries.

According to reporting by Reuters, shipments through the pipeline were suspended after infrastructure damage linked to fighting in Ukraine. Kyiv has said the pipeline cannot be quickly restored due to the scale of the damage, while Budapest and Bratislava argue that the disruption is politically motivated.

The pipeline dispute has increasingly become entangled with broader EU discussions about financial assistance for Ukraine.

Fico signals he could block EU support

Amid the escalating disagreement, Slovak Prime Minister Robert Fico said Slovakia could block the EU’s proposed financial package for Ukraine if oil deliveries are not restored.

Fico said Bratislava was prepared to “take the baton” from Hungary in opposing the €90-billion loan package, which he described as a “military gift” to Ukraine. His government has already halted emergency electricity exports to Ukraine as part of the broader dispute.

The Slovak leader’s position places his government alongside Hungary in resisting further EU aid measures tied to the conflict.

Growing divisions within the EU

Hungary has already used its veto power to block both the new EU loan package for Ukraine and additional sanctions against Russia, according to Reuters. Orbán has argued that Hungary will use “political and financial tools” to pressure Ukraine to restart the pipeline supplying Russian oil.

The dispute underscores widening divisions within the European Union over how to balance continued support for Ukraine with economic and energy concerns in Central Europe.

While Poland remains one of Kyiv’s strongest allies in the EU, Tusk’s criticism of Zelenskyy’s rhetoric illustrates the increasingly complex political dynamics among European governments as the war enters its third year and debates over long-term support intensify.