The European Union cannot replace Starlink within the foreseeable future, EU foreign policy and security chief Kaja Kallas said. She spoke at the European Council summit in Brussels after Ukraine complained about restrictions affecting the satellite network, which plays a key role for the Ukrainian armed forces.
“Starlink is indeed indispensable for Ukraine and unfortunately Europe cannot replace it in the short term,” Kallas said. She added that the meeting was also discussing the EU’s defense readiness in an effort to compensate for capabilities the bloc does not have.
In recent days, Kyiv said it had not been warned by its allies about impending Russian attacks after satellite services provided by SpaceX were delayed. The company is owned by billionaire Elon Musk, a close ally of U.S. President Donald Trump.
SpaceX’s satellite constellation includes Starshield, a military-use system that Ukraine uses for frontline communications and defensive operations, as well as Starlink, which is intended for civilian use.
Musk said that any delay affecting the Starshield military network in Ukraine was caused by the U.S. government, not his company. A representative of Ukraine’s Defense Ministry said Starshield operations resumed the following day.
Dutch Prime Minister Rob Jetten highlighted regular contacts between European and American officials about the importance of reliable connectivity in Ukraine. “Fortunately, it has now been restored. We can see that the Ukrainians immediately made use of it. Yesterday I also discussed with the French president how we as Europeans can provide more services of this kind,” he said.
Latvian Prime Minister Andris Kulbergs said it would take time to develop capabilities comparable to those of the United States. “We have some capacity in this area, but not enough. That is why this is a strategic issue that we must discuss today,” he added before meeting his European counterparts.
The EU has a satellite network operated by the French company Eutelsat, but it is much smaller than Starlink.
Source: dnes.bg
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854 | 16 Oct. 2026 | 15:22
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