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Polish lawmakers clash over Starlink support after president’s veto

26.08.2025 10:45
Foreign Minister Radosław Sikorski criticized far-right lawmaker Sławomir Mentzen over calls for Ukraine to pay for Starlink, as a presidential veto put Polish funding at risk and the digital affairs minister called the move a gift to Russia.
The possible end of Polands financing of Starlink systems for Ukraines military stems from President Karol Nawrockis veto of an aid bill.
The possible end of Poland’s financing of Starlink systems for Ukraine’s military stems from President Karol Nawrocki’s veto of an aid bill.File photo. Markus Winkler/CC0/Pixabay

Sikorski said on social media that “Putin’s propagandists are delighted by decisions to limit aid for Ukraine and Ukrainians,” responding to Mentzen—a former right-libertarian presidential candidate and lawmaker with the far-right Confederation—who wrote: “If Ukraine wants Starlink, it should pay for it.”

Sikorski added: “By helping Ukraine, we keep Putin’s army away from our borders, which is in the Polish taxpayer’s financial interest.”

The possible end of Poland’s financing of Starlink systems for Ukraine’s military stems from President Karol Nawrocki’s veto of an aid bill.

On Monday, Digital Affairs Minister Krzysztof Gawkowski called the veto beneficial for Russia, writing: “I can’t imagine a better present for Putin’s forces than cutting Ukraine off from the internet.”

Addressing the president, he said the veto “hurts people fighting for independence and helps Russia […] Some will say shame, others betrayal of a neighbor.”

Nawrocki said he would propose a new version of the law to change Ukrainians’ eligibility for benefits and introduce new citizenship rules requiring 10 years of residency. The draft would also raise the penalty for illegal crossing of Poland’s border to up to five years.

(jh)

Source: IAR, PAP