Poland financing Ukraine's Starlink X services
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Poland affirms that it is the only state covering the costs of Ukraine's extensive Starlink network as part of its support for Kiev against Moscow.
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Polish Foreign Minister Radosław Sikorski waits for the arrival of US Secretary of State, Antony Blinken, for talks in Warsaw, Poland, Thursday, September 12, 2024. (AP)
Poland is covering all expenses for Ukraine's use of the Starlink satellite communication system, Foreign Minister Radoslaw Sikorski revealed during a presser on Thursday.
Ukrainian officials have commended the system, managed by Elon Musk's SpaceX, for providing internet access to troops and officials in Kiev.
Previously, Musk claimed that the company has successfully resisted efforts by Moscow to interfere with its network. He began supplying Starlink ground equipment shortly after the conflict started but later noted that no one was covering the service costs. Eventually, the Pentagon took over the payments.
However, Poland recently revealed that the Starlink modules are no longer provided or funded by Musk and that they would be exclusively financed by Warsaw. "We are doing it, and no one else is doing it," Sikorski said.
The funding is part of the broader practical support the Polish government is providing for Kiev's efforts against Russia, which Minister Sikorski detailed to President Andrzej Duda before an international convention.
The Polish President was scheduled to go to Germany this week for a gathering of the Ukraine Defense Contact Group, a coalition of nations supporting Ukraine militarily. However, the meeting was postponed after US President Joe Biden canceled his trip to Europe, citing the need to address Hurricane Milton.
In May, Warsaw committed to financing the operation of over 20,000 Starlink terminals in Ukraine. At the time, Minister of Digitization Krzysztof Gawkowski described the devices as “one of the building blocks” for internet connectivity in Ukraine and stated that Poland is engaged in a “cyber cold war with Russia.” Poland has been one of the most vocal advocates for continued Western support for Kiev until Moscow is defeated.
Shifty Musk angers Ukraine
Initially, Musk was celebrated in Ukraine for the support he offered, however, this admiration shifted to disdain when he began questioning Kiev’s military strategy and advocated for peace talks with Russia. In October 2022, Ukrainian diplomat Andrey Melnik, then serving as ambassador to Germany, told Musk to "f**k off" after he suggested UN-supervised referendums in areas formerly part of Ukraine.
In September 2023, Kyrylo Budanov, the chief of Ukraine's military intelligence department, stated that Musk had turned off his Starlink satellite network over Crimea.
US media alleged, citing Walter Isaacson's biography of Musk, that the US billionaire had instructed his engineers to turn down Starlink coverage over Crimea, which had hampered Kiev's attack on the Russian fleet on Sevastopol last year.
Musk rejected this, claiming that Starlink coverage over Crimea was never activated in the first place, despite Kiev's request. The tycoon stated that he never intended for Starlink satellites to be used to escalate the battle, which could lead to a third global war.
