Ukraine’s access to the Starlink satellite internet service could be disrupted following a veto by Polish President Karol Nawrocki on a bill concerning aid for Ukrainian refugees, Polish Deputy Prime Minister Krzysztof Gawkowski announced on Monday, August 25, 2025, as tensions between the government and the president continue to escalate.
Poland currently funds Starlink services for Ukraine, ensuring satellite internet coverage across the country, including areas where Ukrainian forces are deployed against Russian troops.
However, President Nawrocki vetoed legislation extending financial support for Ukrainian refugees, while also announcing plans to restrict their access to healthcare and child benefits.
Deputy PM Gawkowski warned that the same legislation also provided the legal basis for financing Starlink in Ukraine.
“This is where Starlink internet for Ukraine, funded by Poland, comes to an end — right as Ukraine faces war,” he wrote on X (formerly Twitter).
A spokesperson later clarified that Nawrocki’s veto means there will be no legal framework to continue payments for Starlink after October 1, 2025, unless parliament adopts an alternative bill proposed by the president before the deadline.
Poland has been one of Ukraine’s strongest backers since Russia’s 2022 invasion, though domestic debate has intensified over the country’s support for 1.5 million Ukrainian refugees currently residing there.
While both the centrist government of Prime Minister Donald Tusk and the conservative-nationalist President Nawrocki agree on the importance of supporting Ukraine militarily, they remain divided over social benefits for refugees.
Nawrocki, who campaigned this year under the slogan “Poles First,” has consistently argued for limiting foreigners’ rights in Poland.
The Ukrainian Foreign Ministry has not yet commented on the decision.
