Elon Musk warns Ukraine's front line will 'collapse' if Starlink is shut down

10 March 2025, 08:08

Elon Musk walks across the South Lawn after stepping off Marine One at the White House in Washington, DC, USA. 09th Mar, 2025.
Elon Musk walks across the South Lawn after stepping off Marine One at the White House in Washington, DC, USA. 09th Mar, 2025. Picture: Alamy

By Alice Padgett

Tech billionaire Elon Musk claimed that Ukraine will 'collapse if the Starlink satellite service is turned off, amid spat with the Polish Foreign Minister.

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Elon Musk claimed that Starlink was the "backbone of the Ukrainian army".

Starlink satellite system is part of Musk's SpaceX mission, to provide internet to remote areas around the world - including war zones.

The Polish Foreign Minister Radoslaw Sikorski replied on X: "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."

This comes as Donald Trump suggested that Ukraine 'may not survive' the war with Russia even if the US continue to back the nation.

Musk replied: "Be quiet, small man. You pay a tiny fraction of the cost. And there is no substitute for Starlink."

US Secretary of State Marco Rubio weighed in, accusing the Polish foreign minister of "just making things up".

"No-one has made any threats about cutting Ukraine off from Starlink," he said.

"And say thank you because without Starlink Ukraine would have lost this war long ago and Russians would be on the border with Poland right now."

Starlink terminals have been used by Ukraine's army operations since February 2022.

Tens of thousands of terminals cover Ukraine, with up to 500 purchased by the US Department of Defence in 2023.

Read More: 20 dead and dozens wounded after Russian drone and missile strikes on Donetsk region

Read More: Trump claims Putin 'holds all the cards' as he says Russia is 'easier to deal with' than Ukraine

Elon Musk (L), White House Staff Secretary Will Scharf (C) and US President Donald Trump, are seen through Marine One's window as they land on the South Lawn of the White House in Washington, DC on March 9, 2025.
Elon Musk (L), White House Staff Secretary Will Scharf (C) and US President Donald Trump, are seen through Marine One's window as they land on the South Lawn of the White House in Washington, DC on March 9, 2025. Picture: Getty

Trump was asked on Monday about his decision to pause funding for Ukraine amid the ongoing invasion.

Pressed on whether he was "comfortable" with the idea of Ukraine falling into the hands of Russia, the question followed comments made by Polish President Andrzej Duda "that without American support, Ukraine will not survive".

Trump responded: "Well, it may not survive anyway."

"But we have some weaknesses with Russia. You know, it takes two," Mr Trump added.

It comes hours after the President spoke with the media aboard Air Force One, taking questions on a host of subjects including Putin and Ukraine.

The US paused military aid and the sharing of intelligence with Ukraine earlier this month following a tense meeting between Mr Trump and Mr Zelenskyy in the Oval Office.

A move many described as an "ambush", the tense White House exchange on February 28 descended into chaos in front of the world's media.

It comes as Ukraine's President Zelenskyy is set to visit Saudi Arabia on Monday, meeting with Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman to discuss the ongoing war in Ukraine.

Ukrainian diplomatic and military representatives will also meet with a US delegation on Tuesday.