Poland says it may seek alternative to Musk’s Starlink in Ukraine
Poland, which pays for Ukraine’s Starlink internet services, may seek an alternative if Elon Musk’s company proves to be “unreliable,” the foreign minister said on Sunday after the billionaire speculated about turning off access to the system.
Starlink provides crucial internet connectivity to Ukraine and its military. U.S. negotiators pressing Kyiv for access to Ukraine’s critical minerals have raised the possibility of cutting the country’s access to the service, sources familiar with the matter told Reuters in February.
Musk, a high-profile figure in the administration of U.S. President Donald Trump, said in a post on his X social media platform on Sunday, that Ukraine’s “entire front line would collapse if I turned it (Starlink) off”.
He said he was “sickened by … years of slaughter in a stalemate that Ukraine will inevitably lose”.
The U.S. government has already revoked some access to satellite imagery for Ukraine and paused intelligence sharing, piling pressure on Kyiv as Trump seeks a swift end to the war, now in its fourth year.
“Starlinks for Ukraine are paid for by the Polish Digitization Ministry at the cost of about $50 million per year,” Polish Foreign Minister Radoslaw Sikorski wrote on X.
“If SpaceX proves to be an unreliable provider, we will be forced to look for other suppliers.”
Shares in Franco-British satellite operator EutelsatETL.PA soared as much as 650% during the week ending March 7, due to speculation the company could replace Starlink in providing internet access to Ukraine.
The shares pulled back on Friday to end the week up around 380%.
