Elon Musk, CEO of Tesla and SpaceX, engaged in a heated online exchange with Polish Foreign Minister Radoslaw Sikorski over the role and funding of Starlink, the satellite internet service widely used by the Ukrainian military.
“Their entire front line would collapse if I turned it off,” Musk had written on X. “What I am sickened by is years of slaughter in a stalemate that Ukraine will inevitably lose.”
Sikorski pushed back, claiming Poland’s Digitisation Ministry covered about $50 million per year for Ukraine’s Starlink access. “The ethics of threatening the victim of aggression apart, if SpaceX proves to be an unreliable provider, we will be forced to look for other suppliers,” he wrote.
Musk dismissed Sikorski’s remarks, responding, “Be quiet, small man. You pay a tiny fraction of the cost. And there is no substitute for Starlink.”
US Secretary of State Marco Rubio also weighed in, defending Musk. “No one has made any threats about cutting Ukraine off from Starlink,” he said. “And say thank you because without Starlink, Ukraine would have lost this war long ago, and Russians would be on the border with Poland right now.”
Starlink, developed by SpaceX, aims to deliver high-speed internet to remote and underserved regions, including conflict zones worldwide. Starlink terminals have been crucial to Ukraine’s military operations, providing essential connectivity since the Russian invasion began in February 2022.
The exchange comes amid shifting US policy on the war. Last week, President Donald Trump suspended weapons deliveries to Ukraine and restricted intelligence sharing, arguing that Kyiv should engage in peace talks with Russia. Polish Prime Minister Donald Tusk had also condemned the decision. “This is what happens when someone appeases barbarians,” he had said on X. “More bombs, more aggression, more victims. Another tragic night in Ukraine.”
