Posted on 04/07/2025 5:35:42 PM PDT by SoConPubbie
In unprecedented exchanges on the social media platform X, US Secretary of State Marco Rubio, DOGE head (and X owner) Elon Musk heavily chastised warmongering Polish Minister Radosław Sikorski over the issue of Ukraine usage of Musk’s Starlink terminals.
Rubio reached the point of asking the Minister to ‘say thank you’ because Starlink terminals kept Russian forces away from the Polish border.
Before we start with ‘who said what,’ let’s remember who Radosław Sikorski is. Look at what he posted (and deleted) when he felt that the US under Biden had exploded the Nordstream pipeline:
Warmonger. So, Sikorski said ‘thank you’ – to Biden for destroying the pipeline!
It all started as a fake controversy that said – falsely – that Musk would cut the usage of the heavily subsidized Starlink terminals in Ukraine.
This led to people calling him a ‘Putin puppet’ and the like, so he responded by saying that Ukraine’s front line would collapse without Starlink – a fact.
So, Sikorski jumped into the fray, and said “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.”
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. https://t.co/WaJWCklgPE— Radosław Sikorski (@sikorskiradek) March 9, 2025
So, Secretary Rubio inserted himself in the conversation and blasted the Polish official by saying “No-one has made any threats about cutting Ukraine off from Starlink. 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.” Musk responded with “Absolutely correct.”
Just making things up.
No one has made any threats about cutting Ukraine off from StarlinkAnd 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 https://t.co/ImeiHFgaaw— Marco Rubio (@marcorubio) March 9, 2025
But Musk was going to leave his mark on this fake controversy: first, he posted factual information about the service he provides.
“My Starlink system is the backbone of the Ukrainian army. Their entire front line would collapse if I turned it off. What I am sickened by is years of slaughter in a stalemate that Ukraine will inevitably lose.”
I literally challenged Putin to one on one physical combat over Ukraine and my Starlink system is the backbone of the Ukrainian army. Their entire front line would collapse if I turned it off.
What I am sickened by is years of slaughter in a stalemate that Ukraine will…
— Elon Musk (@elonmusk) March 9, 2025
But, after that, Musk went for blood and posted a direct – and unprecedented – response to Sikorski: “Be quiet, small man. You pay a tiny fraction of the cost. And there is no substitute for Starlink.”
Be quiet, small man.
You pay a tiny fraction of the cost.
And there is no substitute for Starlink.
— Elon Musk (@elonmusk) March 9, 2025
But to once again address the fake controversy, Musk posted an unambiguous statement:
“To be extremely clear, no matter how much I disagree with the Ukraine policy, Starlink will never turn off its terminals. I am simply stating that, without Starlink, the Ukrainian lines would collapse, as the Russians can jam all other communications! We would never do such a thing or use it as a bargaining chip.”
Exactly!
To be extremely clear, no matter how much I disagree with the Ukraine policy, Starlink will never turn off its terminals.
I am simply stating that, without Starlink, the Ukrainian lines would collapse, as the Russians can jam all other communications!
We would never…
— Elon Musk (@elonmusk) March 9, 2025
Read more:
Over one million Poles stood up against communism and brought it down. Very brave people, with a leader designated as a Saint.
Yes but unfortunately their defense minister is an idiot.
Idiots: We’ve been there. Thank God for President Trump.
Marco is an unexpected pleasant surprise. God job Marco!
“ And there is no substitute for Starlink.”
What’s funny is the Euroweenies have their panties in such a twist over Musk that they’ve decided to build their own system. Given how awful and expensive the French orbital lift system is, and how bureaucratic and corrupt the EU is in general, it looks to be an endless financial black hole with no completion.
Eutelsat-oneweb already has a load of satalleites in orbit, and it’s share price soared recently from a downward trend because this is just one of many totally stupid and unnecessary examples of self inflicted harm. They will be getting lots of contracts in Europe and elsewhere at the expense of Starlink. Musk has empowered the competition.
You can add that to European arms industry shares soaring to new heights while American ones decline because members of this administration, from Trump, to Rubio to Musk, keep making arrogant statements full of hubris that insult their own customers and give them cause for concern that they are not reliable.
This isn’t 4d chess, it’s barely even snakes and ladders.
I was reading about Eutelsat-oneweb and see that it has speeds of about 165 Mbps which compares well with Starlink’s but has a higher latency.
I also saw . CEO Eva Berneke told Bloomberg in March that scaling to 40,000 terminals (matching Starlink’s Ukraine deployment) could take “a couple of months,” but they’re still not at Starlink’s level I think.
The UK would probably edge closer to France, Germany, Poland etc. for defense capabilities - and would be not only welcomed but red-carpet welcomed.
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