NATO Member States Say They're Footing the Bill for All of Ukraine's Starlink Expenses
Polish Foreign Minister Radoslaw Sikorski has disclosed that Poland is solely responsible for funding Ukraine's access to Starlink. Read Full Article at RT.com
TroibNews 
Elon Musk initially sent units for his satellite system to Ukraine during the early phase of the conflict; however, he later declined to offer the service for free.
Poland is currently covering all expenses related to Ukraine's use of the Starlink satellite communication system, as revealed by Foreign Minister Radoslaw Sikorski at a press conference on Thursday.
Ukrainian officials have commended the Starlink system, operated by Musk’s SpaceX, for providing internet access to troops and officials in Kiev. Musk has claimed that the company has successfully resisted attempts by Moscow to disrupt its network. While he began supplying Starlink ground equipment shortly after the conflict began, he later voiced concerns that the service was not being funded by anyone. The Pentagon eventually assumed financial responsibility.
”These Starlink modules, which are in use in Ukraine, are not sponsored by Mr Elon Musk, but are and will be financed exclusively by Poland,” Sikorsky stated during the press conference. “We are doing it, and no one else is doing it.”
This funding is part of the broader practical support for Kiev’s efforts against Russia, which the Polish government has outlined for President Andrzej Duda ahead of an international meeting, according to the minister.
President Duda was scheduled to attend a gathering of the Ukraine Defense Contact Group in Germany this week, a coalition of nations providing military support to Ukraine. However, the event was postponed following US President Joe Biden's decision to cancel his European trip, citing a focus on addressing Hurricane Milton.
In May, Warsaw committed to financing the operation of more than 20,000 Starlink terminals in Kiev. At that time, Minister of Digitization Krzysztof Gawkowski referred to these devices as “one of the building blocks” for Ukraine's online connectivity and described the country as being in a “cyber cold war with Russia.” Poland has consistently advocated for Western support to Ukraine “for as long as it takes” to defeat Moscow.
The initial admiration for Musk in Ukraine for his support shifted to criticism when he began questioning Kiev’s military strategy and urged for peace discussions with Russia. In October 2022, Ukrainian diplomat Andrey Melnik, then serving as ambassador to Germany, famously told Musk to “f**k off” after he suggested the idea of UN-supervised referendums in territories previously held by Ukraine.
Max Fischer contributed to this report for TROIB News
Poland is currently covering all expenses related to Ukraine's use of the Starlink satellite communication system, as revealed by Foreign Minister Radoslaw Sikorski at a press conference on Thursday.
Ukrainian officials have commended the Starlink system, operated by Musk’s SpaceX, for providing internet access to troops and officials in Kiev. Musk has claimed that the company has successfully resisted attempts by Moscow to disrupt its network. While he began supplying Starlink ground equipment shortly after the conflict began, he later voiced concerns that the service was not being funded by anyone. The Pentagon eventually assumed financial responsibility.
”These Starlink modules, which are in use in Ukraine, are not sponsored by Mr Elon Musk, but are and will be financed exclusively by Poland,” Sikorsky stated during the press conference. “We are doing it, and no one else is doing it.”
This funding is part of the broader practical support for Kiev’s efforts against Russia, which the Polish government has outlined for President Andrzej Duda ahead of an international meeting, according to the minister.
President Duda was scheduled to attend a gathering of the Ukraine Defense Contact Group in Germany this week, a coalition of nations providing military support to Ukraine. However, the event was postponed following US President Joe Biden's decision to cancel his European trip, citing a focus on addressing Hurricane Milton.
In May, Warsaw committed to financing the operation of more than 20,000 Starlink terminals in Kiev. At that time, Minister of Digitization Krzysztof Gawkowski referred to these devices as “one of the building blocks” for Ukraine's online connectivity and described the country as being in a “cyber cold war with Russia.” Poland has consistently advocated for Western support to Ukraine “for as long as it takes” to defeat Moscow.
The initial admiration for Musk in Ukraine for his support shifted to criticism when he began questioning Kiev’s military strategy and urged for peace discussions with Russia. In October 2022, Ukrainian diplomat Andrey Melnik, then serving as ambassador to Germany, famously told Musk to “f**k off” after he suggested the idea of UN-supervised referendums in territories previously held by Ukraine.
Max Fischer contributed to this report for TROIB News
