Shares in Franco-British satellite operator Eutelsat pulled back on Friday after soaring nearly 500% this week on the prospect of potentially replacing Starlink in Ukraine.

Amid deteriorating ties with Ukraine, Elon Musk claimed that Starlink was the backbone of the war-torn country’s army, which would collapse if the service were turned off. He also engaged in a spat with the Polish foreign minister over its use in the war.

While it has fewer than one-tenth of Starlink's satellites, Eutelsat is being floated as a potential replacement if Starlink access is cut.

U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio criticized Polish Foreign Minister Radoslaw Sikorski, accusing him of spreading misinformation regarding Starlink's role in Ukraine. Rubio emphasized Starlink's importance,

WARSAW >> U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio accused Poland’s foreign minister Radoslaw Sikorski of “making things up” and suggested on Sunday he was ungrateful, in a strong rebuke after Sikorski said Ukraine may need an alternative to the Starlink satellite service.

U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio rebuked Polands Foreign Minister Radoslaw Sikorski for suggesting Ukraine may need an alternative to Elon Musks Starlink, calling him ungrateful and accusing him of making things

OneWeb, Project Kuiper, and IRIS2 could all, in time, replace Elon Musk's satellite communications system in Ukraine, but they will struggle to replicate Starlink's coverage and usability.

It was US President Donald Trump’s furious Oval Office clash with his Ukrainian counterpart last Friday that convinced fund manager Hugo Squire it was time to buy bonds in Eutelsat Communications SA.