Duda criticises foreign minister for dispute with US and Musk over Starlink

Andrzej Duda, photo by prezydent.pl

Polish President Andrzej Duda did not support the position of Foreign Minister Radoslaw Sikorski in his public dispute with US Secretary of State Marco Rubio and billionaire Elon Musk over the operation of the Starlink system in Ukraine.

In an interview with the Financial Times, he called Sikorsky's intervention «completely unnecessary», hromadske reports.

«You don't discuss with the US administration on Twitter, you do it through diplomatic channels,» Andrzej Duda said.

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Earlier, Polish Prime Minister Donald Tusk also commented on the situation, calling on allies to respect, but did not openly criticise Radoslaw Sikorski.

Background to the conflict

Last week, Elon Musk said that by providing Ukraine with access to Starlink, he «challenged» Vladimir Putin, but now wants the war to end. In response, Radoslaw Sikorski, whose country finances the operation of terminals for Ukraine, warned that Poland could find other suppliers.

In response, Marco Rubio said that Sikorski «is making up» and that «no one threatened» to cut Ukraine off from Starlink. He also added: «And say thank you, because without Starlink, Ukraine would have lost this war long ago, and the Russians would now be on the border with Poland».

Elon Musk also did not stand aside and responded to the Polish minister: «Quiet, little man. You are paying a fraction of the cost. And there is no substitute for Starlink».

Later, Musk assured that Starlink will continue to operate in Ukraine, «no matter how much I disagree with the policy towards Ukraine».

Polish Prime Minister Donald Tusk called for respect for smaller partners after criticising Rubio and Musk. He wrote that «true leadership means respect for partners and allies».