3 hours ago
1
Neighbour Poland has been 1 of Ukraine’s staunchest backers since Russia invaded successful 2022.
Published On 25 Aug 2025
Ukraine’s entree to Elon Musk’s outer net work Starlink could beryllium chopped owed to the Polish president’s veto of a exile assistance bill, a Polish lawman premier curate said, arsenic a struggle betwixt the authorities and caput of authorities deepens and undermines the erstwhile ironclad enactment of its war-torn neighbour.
Poland pays for Ukraine to usage Starlink, which provides important net connectivity to the state and its subject arsenic they effort to propulsion backmost invading Russian forces.
Right-wing Polish President Karol Nawrocki connected Monday vetoed a measure extending authorities fiscal enactment provided to Ukrainian refugees and unveiled plans to bounds their aboriginal entree to kid benefits and healthcare.
However, Deputy Prime Minister and Digital Affairs Minister Krzysztof Gawkowski said the vetoed authorities besides provided the ineligible ground for providing Starlink to Ukraine.
“This is the extremity of Starlink internet, which Poland provides to Ukraine arsenic it wages war,” helium wrote connected X.
Centrist Polish Prime Minister Donald Tusk criticised the veto. But his authorities does not person the two-thirds bulk successful parliament needed to flooded the move.
“We cannot punish radical for losing their occupation — peculiarly not guiltless children. This is the ABC of quality decency,” Labour Minister Agnieszka Dziemianowicz-Bak wrote connected X.
Gawkowski, stressed that Nawrocki veto jeopardised Ukraine’s usage of Starlink.
“We privation to proceed paying for net by outer for Ukraine. Unfortunately, this disastrous determination by the president greatly complicates things, and we volition person to pass our partners that this enactment volition decorativeness astatine the extremity of September,” helium told the PAP quality agency.
Nawrocki’s spokesperson however, told the Reuters quality bureau that the ground for paying for Starlink could inactive beryllium restored if parliament adopts a measure projected by the president by the extremity of adjacent month.
Since Russia’s 2022 penetration of Ukraine, astir 1 cardinal refugees person settled successful neighbouring Poland. Most of them are women and children.
Poland is simply a cardinal protagonist of Ukraine and a large transit way for Western assistance but nationalist attitudes towards Ukrainians person hardened.
Nawrocki, a staunch nationalist, had promised to chopped societal payment benefits for Ukrainians during the run up of his predetermination triumph connected June 1.
“I volition not alteration my caput and I deliberation that (this aid) should beryllium constricted lone to Ukrainians who are committed to moving successful Poland,” Nawrocki, who took bureau this month, told reporters connected Monday.
Nawrocki besides said Ukrainians who bash not enactment successful Poland should not beryllium allowed to person escaped aesculapian attraction arsenic they bash now.
“This puts america successful a concern successful which Polish citizens, successful their ain country, are little good treated than our Ukrainian guests,” helium said.
Gawkowski said that Poland spent 77 cardinal euros ($90 million) betwixt 2022 and 2024 to bargain and subscribe to Starlink systems for Ukraine.
A Ukrainian diplomatic root told the Reuters quality bureau that Kyiv was analysing the imaginable interaction of the determination connected Ukrainians successful Poland, adding they believed “their rights volition beryllium protected nary little than successful different EU countries”.
Ukrainian refugees are presently eligible to person the monthly household payment of 800 zlotys ($219) per kid if their children be Polish schools. Other EU countries specified arsenic Germany person besides projected cutting benefits recently.
In Poland, the president tin suggest bills and veto authorities legislation. The authorities tin likewise besides artifact the president’s proposals.
English (US) ·