Elon Musk vows to keep Starlink active for Ukraine amidst tensions
"No matter how much I disagree with the Ukraine policy, Starlink will never turn off its terminals," announced its owner Elon Musk on the platform X. Earlier, there was a sharp exchange of words between the billionaire and Poland's Foreign Minister Radosław Sikorski.
Elon Musk, assuring that Starlink will not turn off its terminals for Ukraine, which is defending itself against the Russian invasion, clarified his earlier post in which he stated that the Ukrainian front would "collapse" if the network were shut down.
"To be extremely clear, no matter how much I disagree with the Ukraine policy, Starlink will never turn off its terminals. Without Starlink, the Ukrainian lines would collapse, as the Russians can jam all other communications! We would never do such a thing or use it as a bargaining chip," wrote the billionaire and advisor to the US president.
Exchange of words between Elon Musk and Radosław Sikorski
The earlier post by the businessman prompted a reaction from Foreign Minister Radosław Sikorski, who regarded it as a threat to disconnect Ukraine from the network, which Poland co-finances.
Starlinks for Ukraine are paid for by the Polish Digitization Ministry at the cost of about $50 million per year. 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," wrote Sikorski.
In response, the head of SpaceX called the minister a "small man." "Be quiet, small man. You pay a tiny fraction of the cost. And there is no substitute for Starlink," wrote Musk.
The businessman from South Africa has previously repeatedly criticized Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky in a similar way, calling him a dictator, accusing him of crimes, and recently suggesting that "as distasteful as it is," he should be granted amnesty and shelter in a safe country.
On Sunday, Musk once again advocated for the United States to withdraw from NATO. "There is no point in America paying for Europe's defence," he assessed.
Let us recall that Starlink is satellite internet by SpaceX, which has transformed into a powerful business in just five years. According to Payload, in 2024, Starlink's estimated revenues were over 8 billion dollars (11.5 billion Canadian dollars), which represents a 95 percent increase compared to the previous year. The number of users doubled, reaching 4.6 million.
