Musk, the world’s wealthiest man, and head of the U.S. government’s Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE) created by Donald Trump, posted on Sunday that his Starlink system is vital to Ukraine’s military efforts, adding that he is “tired” of the ongoing conflict.
Sikorski responded by noting Poland pays $50 million annually for Starlink and would seek alternatives if SpaceX proves unreliable.
Musk fired back, calling Sikorski a “small man” who should “be quiet,” arguing Warsaw covers only a fraction of the total cost and that there is no viable replacement for his satellite service.
U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio then wrote that Sikorski should thank Musk for the system, claiming Ukraine would have already lost the war without Starlink.
Sikorski and Ukrainian Foreign Minister Andrij Sybiha both reiterated gratitude for the service and confirmed it would remain operational.
While politicians from Poland’s main conservative party, Law and Justice, criticized Sikorski for his remarks, Prime Minister Donald Tusk backed him, stating that true leadership requires “respect for partners and allies” rather than “arrogance.”
Poll results
In the SW Research survey for Rzeczpospolita, 55.4% of respondents said Musk should apologize to Sikorski; 19.7% disagreed; 10.4% had no opinion; and 14.5% were unaware of the controversy.
According to Piotr Zimolzak of SW Research, support for an apology rises to 64% among those over 50 and 62% among respondents with higher education.
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Source: Rzeczpospolita