Starlink Excludes Poland from European Common Area, Sparking Backlash

SpaceX has excluded Poland from Europe’s free international Starlink zone, prompting Deputy Prime Minister Krzysztof Gawkowski to demand an immediate reversal of the unfair rules.

Change of Starlink Rules: Poland Outside the European Area

New regulations introduced by SpaceX have sparked a wave of outrage in Poland. Poland was not included in the European area for free Starlink use abroad, which Deputy Prime Minister Krzysztof Gawkowski called worse treatment of Polish customers and called for an immediate change of rules. This is another installment of tensions on the Polish government – Elon Musk line after earlier clashes between Foreign Minister Radosław Sikorski and the owner of the concern.

The global Starlink internet system is crucial for the defense of Ukraine, which uses over 50,000 terminals, mostly financed by Poland. Starlinks have already been the subject of a public dispute between Foreign Minister Radosław Sikorski and the system manufacturer’s owner Elon Musk in the past.

The topic of Starlinks returned this week with the announcement of changes to the rules regarding the use of the system abroad. Poland was not included among European countries treated as a common area where it is not necessary to use a foreign tariff.

The change noted that “Poland is not included in the above region of Europe” and that “accounts registered in Poland are intended exclusively for use in Poland.”

This means a change in conditions for Polish users during foreign trips. Poles with the “Roam – Unlimited” package will be able to use the internet abroad for 30 days within a single journey. After a month, it is necessary to return to Poland to “reset the 30-day period” or switch to a more expensive package or change the country of registration.

Deputy Prime Minister Gawkowski’s Reaction: Demand for Equal Rules for Poles

Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Digital Affairs Krzysztof Gawkowski reacted to the change, writing on Wednesday on X that he asked the system owner, SpaceX, for “urgent restoration of equal rules for Polish customers.” He emphasized that under the new rules, Polish users of the system “are to be treated worse than clients from other European countries.”

This is not the first controversy that has arisen between the Polish authorities and SpaceX, whose largest owner is the American billionaire Elon Musk.

Online Spat: Radosław Sikorski, Elon Musk, and Marco Rubio

In March 2025, a public dispute occurred between Musk and the head of Polish diplomacy Radosław Sikorski; US Secretary of State Marco Rubio also joined in. The discussion was conducted on X, which also belongs to Musk.

As early as February last year, Reuters reported that US administration officials threatened Ukraine with immediate disconnection from Starlinks if Kiev did not agree to Washington’s terms regarding the then-negotiated rare earth minerals exploitation agreement.

Musk commented later that if he deprives the Ukrainian army of access to the Starlink system, “the entire front in Ukraine will collapse.” Sikorski retorted that “leaving aside the ethics of threatening a victim of aggression, if SpaceX turns out to be an unreliable supplier, we will be forced to look for other suppliers.” He added that Poland spends 50 million dollars a year on maintaining Starlinks for Ukraine.

The billionaire told Sikorski to “be quiet.” He called him a “small man” and claimed that Poland bears “a small fraction of the cost” of Starlinks; later he also called the Polish minister a “Soros puppet.” At the same time, however, he stated that Starlink will not cut Ukraine off from its terminals.

The entry of the head of Polish diplomacy was also reacted to by his American counterpart. Rubio commented that no one threatened to block Ukraine’s access to the system. He also accused Sikorski of “making things up” and that he should say thank you because “without Starlinks Ukraine would have lost the war long ago, and the Russians would now be at the Polish border.”

The Role of Starlinks in Ukraine and Polish Financing of Terminals

Internet access via portable Starlink terminals is provided by a constellation of several thousand satellites. It is the largest system of this type in the world. Since the beginning of Ukraine’s war of defense against Russia in February 2022, Ukraine has used Starlinks for both military and civilian purposes. The system plays an important role in Ukrainian communications, and its importance has been repeatedly emphasized by Ukrainian authorities, including President Volodymyr Zelensky.

Ukraine has 50,000 Starlink terminals, we are developing this system with the help of foreign partners, of which the most, 29.5 thousand, were donated by Poland – the then Ukrainian Minister of Digital Transformation Mykhailo Fedorov informed in April 2025. As Polish politicians noted, Warsaw also finances the ongoing maintenance of these systems. Among the donors of Starlinks for Ukraine are also the USA and Great Britain, among others.

Use of Starlinks by Russia and SpaceX Blockade

In winter, media began reporting that Russia is increasingly using Starlinks for attacks on Ukraine, which the Ministry of Defense in Kyiv confirmed at the end of January. The Starlink system does not work in Russia. According to Kyiv, however, Russian troops mounted terminals on drones, which was intended to increase their range and precision in attacks on targets in Ukraine.

Sikorski reacted to these reports on X, asking Musk “why he doesn’t stop the Russians from using Starlinks to attack Ukrainian cities.” He added that “profiting from war crimes” could harm his company.

The Ukrainian Ministry of Defense then announced that it was cooperating with SpaceX to solve this problem. Musk later stated that “unauthorized use of Starlink by Russia” was successfully prevented, which was also confirmed by the Ukrainian side. Sikorski thanked Musk on X, adding: “Better late than never.”

Elon Musk’s Evolving Attitude Toward the War in Ukraine

After the start of the full-scale Russian invasion in 2022, Musk responded to the appeal of the Ukrainian authorities by sending the first Starlink terminals. Over time, however, his public statements became increasingly reluctant toward Kyiv. Musk, among other things, criticized Ukrainian counteroffensives, presented his own peace plan unfavorable to Ukraine, and opposed further US military aid to Kyiv. He emphasized that the agreement with Ukraine does not allow the use of Starlinks for offensive operations. According to the media, in September 2022, Musk refused Ukraine’s request to activate Starlinks in the area of Crimea occupied by Russia to support an attack on the Russian fleet.