Billionaire Elon Musk said Sunday he will never turn off Starlink terminals for Ukraine, regardless of his disagreements with the country’s policies.
“To be extremely clear, no matter how much I disagree with the Ukraine policy, Starlink will never turn off its terminals,” Musk wrote on X.
He argued that without Starlink, Ukrainian military lines would collapse, as Russian forces can jam all other communications.
“We would never do such a thing or use it as a bargaining chip,” he added.
Earlier, Musk claimed that Starlink serves as the “backbone of the Ukrainian army” and that “their entire frontline would collapse if I turned it off.”
But Polish Foreign Minister Radoslaw Sikorski responded that Poland is covering the cost of Starlink access for Ukrainian units.
US Secretary of State Marco Rubio dismissed concerns over Starlink’s availability in Ukraine, saying that no one had ever threatened to cut off access.
Starlink, SpaceX’s satellite internet service, has played a critical role in maintaining Ukraine’s communications since the start of the war.
Musk, a major ally of US President Donald Trump, had been accused of interfering in European politics and elections, and furthering Trump’s animus towards Ukraine.