Polish Minister Rebukes Florida Congresswoman Over Ukraine Peace Talks Remarks
Rep. Anna Paulina Luna questioned Poland's role in Ukraine peace negotiations, prompting Foreign Minister Radosław Sikorski to remind her that pressure belongs on the aggressor, not the victim, amid new Starlink restrictions on Ukrainian drones.
Rep. Anna Paulina Luna (R-Fla.) drew a sharp public rebuke from Poland's foreign minister after she questioned whether Warsaw was helping or hindering U.S.-led peace efforts in Ukraine, a exchange that unfolded on social media and highlighted deepening tensions over Washington's approach to the war.
The confrontation began when Polish Foreign Minister Radosław Sikorski responded to a post by SpaceX owner Elon Musk, asking whether the billionaire was «playing politics» with Starlink after Ukrainian officials said the satellite service restricted their access without warning. Ukraine's military relies on Starlink for communications and drone operations, and a Ukrainian presidential adviser, Serhii Beskrestnov, said SpaceX imposed a speed limit on Ukraine's moving terminals overnight, disrupting several missions.
«Obviously, this action cannot be a coincidence and is associated with the current political situation,» Beskrestnov said, though he offered no evidence tying the restrictions to U.S. pressure. The White House has not commented. President Donald Trump has threatened to withhold intelligence and other aid from Kyiv as he pushes for a swift end to the war.
Luna then directed her own attack at Sikorski. «That goes both ways @sikorskiradek. Have you at all assisted [Trump] or [Secretary of State Marco Rubio] in the peace negotiations or are you PART of the problem??» she wrote Wednesday on X.
Sikorski answered about two hours later with a pointed correction. «Madam, as a neighbour of both Ukraine and Russia, we would be delighted to support [Trump] in peace negotiations. Please note, however, that to get to a deal pressure should be put on the aggressor and not on the victim of aggression,» he said.
The exchange is the latest flashpoint in a long-running dispute between Sikorski and Musk over Starlink's role in Ukraine. In March 2025, Musk wrote that Ukraine's «entire front line would collapse» if he turned the service off. Sikorski replied that Poland's Digitization Ministry pays about $50 million per year for Ukraine's Starlink access and warned that if SpaceX proves an unreliable provider, Warsaw would be forced to look for other suppliers.
Luna's criticism of Sikorski follows a year of her meetings with Russian officials, including Kirill Dmitriev, Russia's economic envoy to President Vladimir Putin. Dmitriev met Luna in Miami in October 2025 and gave her flowers and chocolate printed with Putin quotes, according to Russia's state-run TASS news agency. In March, Luna hosted Russian lawmakers in Washington who face U.S. sanctions for voting to back Russia's 2022 invasion. Russian lawmaker Vyacheslav Nikonov, who led the delegation, said the two sides discussed a possible visit by U.S. lawmakers to Moscow.
The Starlink restrictions have compounded Ukrainian concerns that U.S. support is eroding. Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said Ukraine did not receive the usual advance warning from Western partners about devastating Russian ballistic missiles, though he did not specify which partners. Trump has said the U.S. has not stopped sharing intelligence with Ukraine, but he has also sharply criticized Zelenskyy, saying Saturday that it was time for Ukraine to get a new president and blaming him for high diesel prices in the U.S.
Trump's efforts to stop the fighting have yielded no progress, and his deal with Putin to import Russian diesel despite international sanctions has frustrated Kyiv. Ukrainian officials fear that American backing, especially military intelligence and Starlink access, may be in jeopardy. Beskrestnov said the speed limit made slower-flying attack drones easier targets for Russian defenses, disrupting long-range missions, interceptor air-defense systems and front-line logistics.
Neither SpaceX nor the White House offered any immediate comment on the restrictions. The public spat between Luna and Sikorski underscores how the debate over Ukraine's defense is increasingly playing out in open exchanges between U.S. lawmakers and European allies, with Warsaw positioning itself as a frontline neighbor determined to keep pressure on Moscow rather than on Kyiv.
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