Elon Musk, Rubio clash with Polish minister over Starlink in Ukraine

US Secretary of State Marco Rubio and billionaire Elon Musk have engaged in a heated exchange with Poland’s Foreign Minister Radoslaw Sikorski over the use of Starlink’s satellite internet system in Ukraine.

Musk claimed on X that Ukraine’s “entire front line” would collapse if he turned off Starlink.

Sikorski countered by stating that Poland pays for the service in Ukraine and warned that any threat to cut it off would prompt a search for an alternative provider.

“Starlinks for Ukraine are paid for by the Polish Digitization Ministry at the cost of about $50 million per year,” Sikorski wrote. “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.”

Rubio dismissed Sikorski’s remarks, accusing him of fabricating claims. “Just making things up… no-one has made any threats about cutting Ukraine off from Starlink,” he said.

He also told Sikorski to be grateful, adding, “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.”

Musk also responded directly to Sikorski, calling him a “small man.” “Be quiet, small man. You pay a tiny fraction of the cost. And there is no substitute for Starlink,” he wrote.

The exchange appeared to prompt a response from Polish Prime Minister Donald Tusk, who posted on X on Monday morning without naming anyone specifically. “True leadership means respect for partners and allies.

Even for the smaller and weaker ones. Never arrogance. Dear friends, think about it,” he wrote.

Starlink, developed by Musk’s SpaceX, has been a crucial component of Ukraine’s military operations since the Russian invasion in February 2022.

The system enables communication for reconnaissance drones, which provide real-time battlefield data, helping direct artillery fire and identify targets for kamikaze drones.

It also plays a critical role in coordinating evacuations and transmitting target locations, as traditional radio systems may be jammed, out of range, or compromised. Tens of thousands of Starlink terminals are in use across Ukraine, including up to 500 purchased by the US Department of Defense in June 2023.

(ABC NEWS)