Polish Foreign Minister Radosław Sikorski has said he hopes Elon Musk “flies to Mars”, warning the US-based tech entrepreneur against mixing business with politics.
Sikorski, who has a history of public online spats with Musk, made the comments on Friday during a conference in the city of Łódź in central Poland, where he was asked about Europe’s dependence on US technology, including the satellite system owned by Musk.
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Sikorski said: “Mixing business with politics usually ends badly, especially when we talk about Elon Musk… I wish Musk well, he’s a great inventor and I hope he will fly to Mars one day.”
Starlink is an invaluable tool in Ukraine’s defense against Russian attacks, but has been subject to controversy amid accusations of intentional drops in service coverage over the course of Russia’s war in Ukraine.
Sikorski accused Musk of trying to “interfere in the politics of different countries”, after Ukrainian officials earlier this month said services from Starshield – the military version of Starlink – were drastically limited, with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy warning that “people will die” as a result.
The reduction in Starlink connectivity came amid a deterioration in Kyiv-Washington relations following the White House’s announcement earlier this month that Russia would be allowed to sell diesel to global markets.
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Poland pays around $50 million annually for Starlink services used in Ukraine as part of Warsaw’s support for Kyiv in defending against Moscow’s aggression.
Sikorski said that companies in Europe are already developing alternatives to Starlink.
Europe holds the cards
On Thursday, Finland-based tech firms ICEYE and Nokia announced that they have joined forces to help Ukraine develop its own satellite communications system in partnership with Ukraine’s defense ministry.
Amid a renewed diplomatic drive by Washington to broker an end to Russia’s war in Ukraine after months of stalled negotiations, Sikorski highlighted what he said was Europe’s important role in finding a resolution to the conflict.
“Europe holds the cards”, Sikorski said, adding that Europe finances the Ukrainian state, continues to hold Russian assets that were frozen over its 2022 invasion of Ukraine and delivers weapons to Kyiv to aid in its defense.
“[Russia] has realized that this cannot be resolved solely by an agreement with the US, and that Europe is in the game,” Sikorski added.
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