Musk and Rubio engage in a debate with the Polish minister regarding the use of Starlink in Ukraine

 

US Secretary of State Marco Rubio and tech billionaire Elon Musk recently clashed with Poland's foreign minister regarding the use of Musk's Starlink satellite internet system in Ukraine. Musk stated on X that Ukraine's "entire front line" would collapse if he shut down the service. In response, Polish Foreign Minister Radoslaw Sikorski noted that Poland had been paying for its use in Ukraine and warned that any threat to cut it off would lead to a search for alternative networks.

Rubio dismissed Sikorski's claims, urging him to express gratitude for the service, while Musk referred to Sikorski as a "small man." This exchange prompted Polish Prime Minister Donald Tusk to call on his country's allies to treat their weaker partners with respect instead of arrogance.

Starlink is part of SpaceX's initiative to provide high-speed internet to remote and underserved areas. It has been extensively utilized by the Ukrainian military. The exchange began when Musk asserted that Starlink was the "backbone of the Ukrainian army" and that "their entire front line would collapse if I turned it off." Sikorski responded, emphasizing that Poland's Digitization Ministry funded the service at approximately $50 million per year. He added that the ethics of threatening a victim of aggression aside, if SpaceX proved unreliable, Poland would have to seek other providers.

In reaction, Rubio claimed Sikorski was "just making things up," insisting that "no one has made any threats about cutting Ukraine off from Starlink." He further stated, "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 later responded to Sikorski’s post by labeling him a "small man" and wrote, "Be quiet, small man. You pay a tiny fraction of the cost. And there is no substitute for Starlink."

On Monday morning, Polish Prime Minister Tusk, without specifying who he referred to, tweeted: "True leadership means respect for partners and allies, even for the smaller and weaker ones. Never arrogance. Dear friends, think about it."

The Starlink terminals are crucial for Ukraine's military operations and have been in use since the start of the Russian invasion in February 2022. There are tens of thousands of terminals in Ukraine, including up to 500 purchased by the US Department of Defense in June 2023.

How does Ukraine's army use Starlink?  

Starlink is one of the most reliable means of communication for Ukrainian troops. It is utilized for reconnaissance drones, which provide real-time battlefield data, enabling rapid responses to attacks. This technology compensates for Ukraine's manpower disadvantages, as the military does not need to station large numbers of soldiers along the entire defensive line. Drone footage also assists in directing artillery fire and identifying targets for kamikaze drones. Additionally, requesting evacuations or providing precise target locations would be significantly slower and more complicated without Starlink, as traditional radio stations may be out of range, jammed, or compromised.