- Musk, Rubio, and Sikorski clash over Starlink’s role in Ukraine.
- Sikorski warns Poland may seek alternative satellite providers.
- Musk dismisses criticism, calling Sikorski a “small man.”
US Secretary of State Marco Rubio and tech mogul Elon Musk engaged in a heated exchange with Polish Foreign Minister Radoslaw Sikorski on X (formerly Twitter) over the role of Musk’s Starlink satellite system in Ukraine.
The dispute began when Musk highlighted Starlink’s strategic importance, calling it the “backbone of the Ukrainian army” and claiming that “their entire front line would collapse if I turned it off.” His remarks drew a sharp response from Sikorski, who pointed out that Poland has been covering the cost of Starlink access for Ukraine.
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“Starlinks for Ukraine are paid for by the Polish Digitization Ministry at the cost of about $50 million per year,” Sikorski wrote. He warned that if SpaceX, Musk’s company, proved unreliable, Poland would seek alternative providers.
Rubio quickly intervened, dismissing Sikorski’s concerns and accusing him of fabricating claims about Starlink’s potential shutdown. “No one has made any threats about cutting Ukraine off from Starlink,” the U.S. secretary of state wrote. He went further, urging Sikorski to show appreciation, arguing that without Starlink, Ukraine would have already lost the war. “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,” Rubio added.
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The exchange escalated when Musk fired back at Sikorski with a personal insult. “Be quiet, small man. You pay a tiny fraction of the cost. And there is no substitute for Starlink,” Musk wrote, asserting that no viable alternative existed.
Starlink, a division of SpaceX, has played a crucial role in Ukraine’s military operations since Russia’s full-scale invasion in February 2022. Tens of thousands of Starlink terminals have been deployed in the country, with around 500 purchased by the U.S. Department of Defence as recently as June 2023.
