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Poland has confirmed that it will continue to fund Ukraine’s access to the Starlink satellite internet service, despite rumours that the Donald Trump administration may cut the service. According to Reuters, US negotiators have hinted to Kyiv that access to Starlink could be used as leverage to force Ukraine to sign a rare minerals deal with the US.
“We pay and will continue to pay for Ukraine’s access to satellite internet. I can’t imagine that anyone can suspend a commercial contract in which Poland is involved,” Polish Deputy Prime Minister Krzysztof Gawkowski said on social media platform X.
According to the Polish authorities, since the beginning of the Russian invasion in 2022, Warsaw has provided Ukraine with 20,000 Starlink terminals and finances their maintenance.
What is happening?
Starlink plays a key role in Ukraine’s military operations, ensuring uninterrupted communication even in the hottest spots. At the same time, according to Reuters, the United States is considering using this access as a means of pressure to get Kyiv to sign an agreement on joint mining of strategically important rare minerals.
The context of the talks
Amid tensions between Trump and Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy, Poland is stepping up its support for Kyiv. On Saturday, Polish President Andrzej Duda will meet with Trump in the United States to discuss both the situation in Ukraine and Washington’s future policy towards its Eastern European allies.
At present, neither SpaceX, which operates Starlink, nor the Armed Forces officials have commented on the situation.
