WARSAW - Polish Prime Minister Donald Tusk on Monday defended his foreign minister, urging US officials to show "respect" rather than "arrogance" toward smaller allies after the minister refuted Elon Musk's claims about Starlink's role in Ukraine.

"True leadership means respect for partners and allies. Even for the smaller and weaker ones. Never arrogance," Tusk posted on the social media platform X. "Dear friends, think about it."

The controversy stemmed from a post by SpaceX Chief Executive Officer Musk on X on Saturday, in which he said: "My Starlink system is the backbone of the Ukrainian army. Their entire front line would collapse if I turned it off."

In response, Polish Foreign Minister Radoslaw Sikorski commented on Sunday that "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." He also pointed out that Poland has been paying about 50 million US dollars per year for the operating costs of Starlink service in Ukraine.

US Secretary of State Marco Rubio dismissed Sikorski's remarks, accusing him of "making things up". Rubio asserted that "No one has made any threats about cutting Ukraine off from Starlink," and urged Sikorski to say "thank you", emphasizing the importance of Starlink in Ukraine's defense against Russia.

The dispute escalated when Musk called Sikorski "small man" and told him to "be quiet".

Domestically, Poland's opposition Law and Justice (PiS) party seized the opportunity to attack Sikorski, accusing him of "insulting the American administration".

In another post, Tusk stood by his minister, saying Sikorski had calmly explained "Poland's raison d'etat to politicians of another country", criticizing the PiS of attacking Sikorski.

Starlink has played a critical role in Ukraine's military operation during its conflict with Russia. Reports suggest that US negotiators have threatened to cut off Ukraine's access to Starlink if an agreement on the country's critical minerals and other resources is not reached.

The Trump administration recently announced a suspension of weapon deliveries to Ukraine and halted intelligence sharing after a tense Oval Office meeting with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky more than a week ago.