Ukraine's Starlink access at risk as Polish foreign minister revives feud with Musk
Polish Foreign Minister Radoslaw Sikorski's threat to cut Poland's Starlink subscription mentions a $50 million-per-year fee, the same figure he cited previously as the cost of providing half of Ukraine's 42,000 terminals.
Polish Foreign Minister Radoslaw Sikorski threatened to halt Poland's subscription to Starlink services on August 12, in response to Poland's exclusion from the European roaming area. Starlink satellites are crucial for Ukraine's military, and Poland pays $50 million annually for the service. Sikorski accused Elon Musk, Starlink's owner, of discriminating against Polish users.
The dispute echoes a past confrontation in March 2025, when Musk called Sikorski a "small man" after the minister raised concerns about a potential Starlink cut-off for Ukraine. The $50 million figure refers to Poland's yearly Starlink subscription, which covers half of Ukraine's 42,000 terminals. It remains unclear if Sikorski is threatening to cut Poland's payments or if the $50 million relates to a separate Poland-specific arrangement.
Poland's digital minister, Krzysztof Gawkowski, has requested SpaceX to restore equal treatment for Polish customers, emphasizing that Polish citizens should not be disadvantaged merely due to corporate decisions.
Written by urgent.news from Kyiv Independent's reporting — not their text. Machine-written — may contain errors; check the original before relying on it.
