“This is the end of Starlink internet for Ukraine.” Poland’s Digital Minister Krzysztof Gawkowski has sharply criticized President Karol Nawrocki’s decision to veto a law on assistance to Ukrainians who fled Russia’s war. 

According to Gawkowski, the president’s veto effectively blocks providing Ukraine with internet access via Starlink and halts support for storing data from the Ukrainian state administration in secure Polish data centers.

“Karol Nawrocki is shutting down the Internet for Ukraine with his decision… This is the end of Starlink internet, which Poland provides to Ukraine, waging war.

This is also the end of support for storing Ukrainian administration data in a safe place,” says Gawkowski. 

“A gift to the Kremlin”

Gawkowski has stressed that this step plays into Russia’s hands. 

“I can’t imagine a better gift for Putin’s troops than cutting off Ukraine from the internet, which the President has just decided,” he claims. 

Politics versus security

The deputy prime minister appealed to the president, urging him to stop using veto power as a political weapon.

“Mr. President – you must stop blindly throwing punches at the government in the name of political fighting. You are harming people who are fighting for their independence and at the same time helping Russia,” Gawkowski concludes. 

Earlier, Ukrainian Prime Minister Yuliia Svyrydenko said Kyiv tested the revolutionary Starlink Direct to Cell technology for the first time.

It allows smartphones to connect directly to satellites without special antennas or equipment. The technology could keep communications running even during massive attacks and blackouts. 

Kyiv sends first wartime text via new Starlink’s tech — no Russian-made blackout can interrupt it