Radosław Sikorski
Radosław Sikorski

WARSAW, Poland — Polish Foreign Minister Radosław Sikorski has taken a fresh swipe at Elon Musk, saying he hopes the billionaire "will fly to Mars one day." Sikorski warned Musk against mixing business with politics after a two-week dispute over limits on satellite internet service used by Ukraine's military.

Sikorski spoke Friday at a conference in Łódź, in central Poland, where he was asked about Europe's reliance on American technology, including Musk's Starlink satellite network.

"Mixing business with politics usually ends badly, especially when we talk about Elon Musk," Sikorski said. "I wish Musk well, he's a great inventor and I hope he will fly to Mars one day."

Sikorski accused Musk of trying to "interfere in the politics of different countries." The two have a history of clashing publicly online.

His remarks came hours before Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said Saturday that Starlink and its military counterpart, Starshield, had been restored to full speed in Ukraine.

Service restored, Zelenskyy says

"Starlink and Starshield services have been restored to the speeds that existed before all these restrictions," Zelenskyy said in a video posted on Telegram.

He said restoration began overnight and that military specialists had checked the networks.

"The speed is now exactly what we need," he said. "We have verified it: Starlink and Starshield are operational."

Zelenskyy said the service is vital for frontline logistics and for defending against Russia's jet-powered Shahed drones. Defense Minister Yevhenii Khmara briefed him Saturday morning that testing showed the networks were working. Zelenskyy thanked U.S. lawmakers, the State Department, the media and President Donald Trump.

Two weeks of limits

The dispute began Oct. 14, when Ukrainian officials said Starshield service had been sharply restricted. According to The Wall Street Journal, citing Ukrainian officials, connections failed across much of Ukraine when drones flew faster than about 100 mph, cutting into the ability to use the network for drone operations.

Zelenskyy warned at the time that "people will die" because of the restrictions.

Responsibility for the limits has been murky. Musk said decisions on restrictions in Ukraine rested with the U.S. military and the president. Trump said Monday he did not know who was responsible.

Secretary of State Marco Rubio said Wednesday that "we cannot direct a private company as to the decisions they make or not make."

On Thursday, Trump said Musk had restored service. "The bottom line: he put it back," Trump said.

Zelenskyy disputed that a day later. "The speed limits on Starlink and Starshield are still there," he said Friday. "The speed has not been restored."

Vice President JD Vance said the issue went beyond Musk. "I don't think this is about Elon," Vance said, adding that it was "fundamentally about what America's policy in Ukraine and Russia is going to be."

The restrictions came amid strained relations between Kyiv and Washington. Trump and Musk had criticized Zelenskyy for approving strikes on Russian oil refineries at a time of rising energy prices. Earlier this month, the White House announced that Russia would be allowed to sell diesel on global markets.

The limits drew bipartisan criticism in Congress. Republican Reps. Brian Fitzpatrick of Pennsylvania and Mike Turner of Ohio, and Sen. Kevin Cramer of North Dakota, called for an investigation. Democratic Sen. Adam Schiff of California said "either the President was lying or Musk was lying" and called on Musk to testify. A bipartisan group of senators threatened to block Trump's nominees until service was restored.

Poland pays the bill

Poland has a direct stake in the dispute. Warsaw pays about $50 million a year for Starlink service used in Ukraine, as part of its support for Kyiv against Russia's invasion.

Sikorski said European companies are already working on alternatives.

On Thursday, Finland-based satellite company ICEYE and telecommunications company Nokia announced a partnership to build a secure satellite communications system for governments and militaries. Kyiv Post reported that the work involves Ukraine's Defense Ministry.

The system would be owned and controlled entirely by the customer, from satellites to ground stations and user terminals. That would remove the need to depend on a third-party commercial operator. The companies plan to launch their first communications satellites in 2028.

"Governments must be able to fully own and control their communications," ICEYE CEO and co-founder Rafal Modrzewski said in announcing the partnership.

The European Union is also building its own secure satellite capabilities. These include its Govsatcom network, part of which launched in January.

'Europe holds the cards'

Sikorski also addressed renewed U.S. efforts to broker an end to the war after months of stalled negotiations. He argued that Europe has more leverage than is often recognized.

"Europe holds the cards," Sikorski said. He noted that Europe finances the Ukrainian state, holds Russian assets frozen after the 2022 invasion, and supplies weapons to Kyiv.

"[Russia] has realized that this cannot be resolved solely by an agreement with the US, and that Europe is in the game," he said.

Zelenskyy struck a similar note Saturday. "Europe must be involved in the diplomatic process," he said.

Abu Dhabi has been considered as a possible venue for talks among Ukraine, Russia and the United States in November. No date or location has been jointly confirmed.

Interceptors still a concern

Even with satellite service restored, Zelenskyy said Ukraine still faces a shortage of air defense interceptors. He said Ukraine had received only 24 Patriot interceptors from the United States over the past three months. He said some air defense packages approved by partner countries are still pending.

"There are packages that we are still awaiting," he said.

Musk did not immediately respond publicly to Sikorski's comments.