In an apparent swipe at Elon Musk, Donald Tusk, the Polish prime minister, has said “true leadership” means respecting allies, even “smaller and weaker ones.”
The prime minister’s comments, posted on the X platform, could be interpreted as a riposte to the U.S. tech billionaire, who called Radosław Sikorski, the Polish foreign minister, a “small man” in a social media exchange.
Sikorski had earlier said Poland, which pays $50 million per year for the operating costs of Musk’s Starlink satellite service in Ukraine, may seek an alternative provider if Musk’s company proves to be “unreliable.”
In response, Musk wrote: “Be quiet, small man. You pay a tiny fraction of the cost. And there is no substitute for Starlink.”
Although the spat appeared to be resolved, Tusk seemed to refer to it in his X post on Monday.
Musk said on Sunday: “My Starlink System is the backbone of the Ukrainian army. Their entire front line would collapse if I turned it off.”
However, he later added that Starlink will “never turn off its terminals” in Ukraine.
Meanwhile, the Speaker of the lower house of the Polish parliament, Szymon Hołownia, responded to Musk’s “small man” comment by saying that no one had the right to “humiliate” Poland or “insult representatives of the Polish government.”
Sikorski had earlier said Poland, which pays $50 million per year for the operating costs of Musk’s Starlink satellite service in Ukraine, may seek an alternative provider if Musk’s company proves to be “unreliable.”
In response, Musk wrote: “Be quiet, small man. You pay a tiny fraction of the cost. And there is no substitute for Starlink.”
Although the spat appeared to be resolved, Tusk seemed to refer to it in his X post on Monday.
“True leadership means respect for partners and allies. Even for the smaller and weaker ones. Never arrogance,” he wrote. “Dear friends, think about it.”True leadership means respect for partners and allies. Even for the smaller and weaker ones. Never arrogance. Dear friends, think about it.
— Donald Tusk (@donaldtusk) March 10, 2025
Musk said on Sunday: “My Starlink System is the backbone of the Ukrainian army. Their entire front line would collapse if I turned it off.”
However, he later added that Starlink will “never turn off its terminals” in Ukraine.
Meanwhile, the Speaker of the lower house of the Polish parliament, Szymon Hołownia, responded to Musk’s “small man” comment by saying that no one had the right to “humiliate” Poland or “insult representatives of the Polish government.”
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