After Poland Row: Musk Promises Ukraine Can Keep Starlink

Elon Musk promised Sunday that Ukraine could retain access to its Starlink satellite network. After an online spat with Polish Foreign Minister Radoslaw Sikorski, the billionaire made the promise.

Ukrainian troops use Starlink for battlefield communications.

The United States has suspended military aid and intelligence sharing with Ukraine after a public spat between Presidents Donald Trump and Volodymyr Zelensky in the White House. This raises fears that Musk, a Trump ally and adviser, would block Ukrainian access to his Starlink satellite system.

Sikorski wrote on X: ‘The Polish Ministry of Digitalization pays about $50 million yearly for Ukraine’s access to Starlink. (…) If SpaceX becomes an unreliable supplier, we will be forced to look for other partners.’

Fraction of the cost
Musk responded to the Polish minister: “Be quiet, little man. You pay a fraction of the cost. And there is no substitute for Starlink.” He also stated that Starlink would never shut down his terminals.

“Without Starlink, the Ukrainian communication lines would collapse, because the Russians can block all other communications! We would never do such a thing or use it as a bargaining chip,” the billionaire said.