Well, it looks like the media’s latest attempt to stir up a feud between Elon Musk and Marco Rubio just crashed and burned—again. After The New York Times breathlessly reported that Musk and Rubio were supposedly clashing over the Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE) initiative, the two made it crystal clear over the weekend that they’re on the same page when it comes to one major issue: calling out absurd takes on the Ukraine war.
Enter Polish Foreign Minister Radosław Sikorski, who apparently thought it would be a good idea to take shots at Musk’s Starlink system, which just so happens to be the backbone of Ukraine’s military communications. Sikorski floated the idea that Ukraine might need to find an “alternative” to Starlink, which is a bit like saying, “Hey, maybe we should find an alternative to oxygen.” Not surprisingly, Musk and Rubio weren’t having it.
Musk, never one to sit quietly, fired back with a reality check. He pointed out that Starlink has been absolutely vital for Ukraine’s defense, going so far as to say that the entire front line would collapse if he pulled the plug. And, because Musk never passes up the chance for a dramatic flourish, he reminded everyone that he once challenged Putin to single combat over Ukraine. (Still waiting on that pay-per-view event, by the way.) But the bigger point Musk made was about the war itself—that it’s turned into a meat grinder that Ukraine is inevitably going to lose unless something changes.
Sikorski then tried to get cute, bringing up the fact that Poland has contributed $50 million per year to help fund Starlink for Ukraine. He even hinted that SpaceX might be “unreliable” and that Ukraine might have to look for “other suppliers.” Oh, really? And who exactly would that be? Because last time we checked, there is no alternative to Starlink—certainly not one that could be up and running overnight while Ukraine is in the middle of a war. But sure, let’s pretend this is a buffet where you can just swap out the most advanced satellite communication system in the world for something else off the menu.
Starlinks for Ukraine are paid for by the Polish Digitization Ministry at the cost of about $50 million per year.
The ethics of threatening the victim of aggression apart, if SpaceX proves to be an unreliable provider we will be forced to look for other suppliers. https://t.co/WaJWCklgPE— Radosław Sikorski (@sikorskiradek) March 9, 2025
That’s when Rubio stepped in and did what the left-leaning press really hates: he told the truth. He called Sikorski out for “just making things up” and pointed out the obvious—without Starlink, Ukraine would have lost this war long ago, and Russian forces would likely be sitting on Poland’s doorstep right now. And, in a move straight out of the JD Vance playbook, Rubio added that instead of whining, Ukraine should be thanking Musk for keeping their military communications up and running.
The Polish official got destroyed:
Just making things up.
No one has made any threats about cutting Ukraine off from StarlinkAnd say thank you because
without Starlink Ukraine would have lost this war long ago and Russians would be on the border with Poland right now https://t.co/ImeiHFgaaw— Marco Rubio (@marcorubio) March 9, 2025
Musk, of course, doubled down in a way only he can. To Rubio, he gave a simple “What Secretary Rubio says is absolutely correct.” To Sikorski? A brutal one-liner: “Be quiet, small man.” Ouch. He followed that up with another jab, reminding Sikorski that Poland pays just a tiny fraction of the total Starlink costs and that there is, in fact, no real substitute for it. In other words, Musk essentially told the Polish official to take a seat and stop acting like he had any leverage in this situation.
Be quiet, small man.
You pay a tiny fraction of the cost.
And there is no substitute for Starlink.
— Elon Musk (@elonmusk) March 9, 2025
This whole exchange is just another example of how the Trump administration operates—cut through the noise, expose the nonsense, and focus on results. The left can keep trying to invent conflicts between Musk and Rubio, but at the end of the day, they’re both pushing for the same thing: efficiency, accountability, and not letting out-of-touch politicians dictate reality. Sikorski tried to play tough, but he ended up getting schooled by both of them. Maybe he’ll think twice before picking a fight he can’t win next time.
