Musk clashes with Europe as Poland questions Starlink’s future

Musk, responding to criticism on X (formerly Twitter), suggested that Ukraine’s front lines would “collapse if I turn [Starlink] off.”

Poland’s foreign minister, Radosław Sikorski, fired back, pointing out that Poland’s Digitisation Ministry covers $50 million annually for Starlink in Ukraine. “The ethics of threatening the victim of aggression appear questionable,” he warned. “If SpaceX proves unreliable, we will be forced to look elsewhere.”

Musk escalated, dismissing Sikorski as a “small man” and telling him to “be quiet.”

Marco Rubio, the US Secretary of State, then waded in, telling Sikorski that its European should be grateful for US support and that the Polish politician was “making things up”.

“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," Rubio posted on X.

The contentious exchange comes as the US government under Trump has moved to distance itself from Ukrainian support.

Just last week, the US stopped sharing intelligence with Kyiv as Trump administration officials have sought to strike a peace deal with Russia over the war — without inviting Ukraine to the table.

Days before Musk and Sikorski's spat, shares in Eutelsat surged dramatically after reports surfaced that the satellite firm could replace Starlink in Ukraine.

The reported shift away from Starlink adds fuel to Europe’s attempts to find a continental alternative, having launched IRIS² last December to counter the Musk-owned service’s increasing dominance.

Hours later, Musk said he would “never turn off its terminals” and that his apparent point was in response to a disagreement over Ukrainian policies.

“I am simply stating that, without Starlink, the Ukrainian lines would collapse, as the Russians can jam all other communications,” Musk said. “We would never do such a thing or use it as a bargaining chip.”

In an attempt to de-escalate the situation, Donald Tusk, Poland's Prime Minister, called on "friends" to respect their allies and not be arrogant.

Without naming names, Tusk said in an X post: “True leadership means respect for partners and allies. Even for the smaller and weaker ones. Never arrogance. Dear friends, think about it.”

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