Polish Presidential Veto and Its Impact on Starlink in Ukraine
Zbigniew Bogucki, head of the Polish presidential office, denied claims that the presidential veto on the amendment to the aid law for Ukrainians would lead to the shutdown of Starlink in Ukraine.
This information was reported by Radio Free Europe.
According to Bogucki, the veto does not disable Starlink in Ukraine, as the funding for it is based on the provisions of existing legislation, and the bill submitted by the Polish president maintains the status quo.
"This is sufficient for the effective processing of this presidential initiative in the Polish parliament next month. The same applies to the support for the secure storage of Ukrainian government data," he wrote on social media.
Earlier, Poland's Deputy Prime Minister for Digital Affairs Krzysztof Hrynkiewicz criticized the veto, claiming it would lead to the disconnection of the Starlink services provided to Ukraine.
"The decision by Karol Nawrocki effectively shuts down the internet (Starlink) in Ukraine, as it practically means a rejection of the law on aid to Ukrainian citizens. This is the end of the Starlink internet support that Poland provides to a war-torn Ukraine. It also signifies the end of support for secure data storage for the Ukrainian government," he stated on social media.
It is noteworthy that the ability to use Starlink terminals in Ukraine emerged in late February 2022. Since then, Ukraine has received over 50,000 terminals from international partners, with nearly 30,000 paid for by Poland, as reported by Ukraine's Minister of Digital Transformation Mykhailo Fedorov.
Nawrocki announced on August 25 that he did not sign the amendment to the law on aid to Ukrainian citizens. The bill was intended to extend social payments for refugees until March 2026.
Prime Minister Donald Tusk criticized the veto, but his government lacks the two-thirds majority in parliament necessary to overturn it.
Later, Marek Georgica, spokesperson for Poland's Ministry of Digital Affairs, stated that starting from October 1, Poland would be unable to fund the Starlink subscription for Ukraine due to the presidential veto.
