United States Secretary of State Marco Rubio reacted to statements by Poland’s Foreign Minister Radoslaw Sikorski on the use of Starlink satellite internet service from Ukraine.
Rubio’s demonstration occurred after Sikorski’s public criticism of the role played by Elon Musk’s company in the context of the war between Ukraine and Russia.
The information was released on Sunday, 9, by Reuters agency. According to the publication, the discussion began after Sikorski published, on platform X (former Twitter), that the Starlink service to Ukraine is funded by the Polish government through the Ministry of Digitization, at approximately $ 50 million annually.
The Polish chancellor said: “Elon Musk stated that Ukraine’s front line would collapse if he turned to Starlink. If Spacex proves to be an unfaithful supplier, we will be forced to look for other options. ”
The statement was interpreted as a direct criticism of the Ukrainian army’s dependence on the digital infrastructure provided by Spacex. Musk replied, also by platform X: “Be quiet, little man. You pay a fraction of the cost. And there is no substitute for Starlink. ”
Rubio’s intervention, a prominent figure in the US government and musk ally, occurred on the same day. The secretary stated: “No one made any threat about cutting Starlink from Ukraine. And say thank you, because without Starlink Ukraine would have lost this war for a long time, and the Russians would now be on the border with Poland. ”
The statements occur at a time of instability in Western support to Ukraine. According to sources heard by Reuters, the United States would have restricted intelligence sharing with Kiev, including access to satellite images.
The same sources indicated that US authorities discussed, the previous month, the possibility of conditioning Ukraine access to Starlink to negotiations on the exploitation of strategic minerals in Ukrainian territory.
The Starlink platform has become essential to maintaining Ukrainian military communications since the beginning of the conflict in February 2022. Satellite connectivity allows command and control operations in remote areas, including regions near the front line.
The tensions related to the dependence of the system also generated impacts on the internal political scenario of Poland. The opposition party Law and Justice (PIS) publicly criticized the performance of Chancellor Sikorski.
Deputy Marcin Przydacz published on the same social network: “Discussing with Americans on social networks is exactly what we need at this time of crucial decisions for the region.”
In addition to political repercussions, the financial market also responded to the possibility of substitution of Starlink. The shares of Franco-British satellite operator Eutelsat (ETL.PA) registered a strong appreciation in the week before March 7, with an accumulated up to 650% before retreating to 380%.
Experts consulted by Reuters point out that Starlink’s growing geopolitical relevance has caused questions among Ukraine Western Allies. The discussion involves the degree of autonomy that allied governments should maintain in relation to the critical communication infrastructure used in conflict zones.
Spacex, responsible for Starlink’s operation, maintains contracts with multilateral governments and institutions to provide services in areas affected by humanitarian crises and armed conflicts.
However, the direct participation of a private company in high -complexity military operations has raised debates on governance, security and sovereignty.
The crisis also exposes the difficulties of the Western Alliance in supporting the support of Ukraine in the face of prolonged conflict.
The search for technical alternatives to Starlink, although at an early stage, indicates the beginning of a possible reconfiguration of connectivity strategies adopted by allied countries.
To date, there has been no official statement by Ukraine on the possibility of replacing the Starlink service. The Ukrainian government continues using infrastructure as the main medium in combat areas and there is no announcement of contracts with new suppliers.
The discussion of Starlink’s role in military operations reflects a broader movement of technological dependencies in the war context. The strategic evaluation of private communication networks has become a recurring agenda between governments that work in international coalitions.
With information from Reuters
Source: https://www.ocafezinho.com/2025/03/10/conflito-entre-polonia-eua-e-elon-musk-expoe-tensao-sobre-dependencia-da-ucrania-da-starlink/
