A Confusion Caused by a Tweet from Elon Musk
This announcement followed confusion caused by one of his tweets: « My Starlink system is the backbone of the Ukrainian army. Their entire front line would collapse if I turned it off ».
This comment raised questions, especially since the Americans suspended military aid and intelligence sharing with Ukraine after the explosive meeting between Donald Trump and Volodymyr Zelensky.
A Heated Exchange with the Polish Minister
In response to Musk’s tweet, Polish Foreign Minister Radoslaw Sikorski replied: « It is the Polish Ministry of Digitization that pays for Starlink satellites for Ukraine, at a cost of $50 million per year ». He also added: « 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”.
Musk did not appreciate the Polish minister’s comment and responded: « Be quiet, small man. You pay a tiny fraction of the cost. And there is no substitute for Starlink ».
Even U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio joined in, accusing the Polish minister of « making things up ». He stated that « No one has threatened to cut off Ukraine from Starlink. And say thank you because without Starlink, Ukraine would have lost this war long ago, and the Russians would be at the Polish border right now. »
The Polish minister quickly responded: « Thank you, Marco, for confirming that the brave Ukrainian soldiers can count on the vital digital service jointly provided by the United States and Poland. »
On Monday morning, to defend its Foreign Minister, Polish Prime Minister Tusk wrote on X: « True leadership means respect for partners and allies. Even for the smaller and weaker ones. Never arrogance. Dear friends, think about it. »
“This discussion has perhaps made the American public aware that the United States does not pay for everything …and that Ukraine is not so much a loss as an investment in security” told the Polish Foreign Ministry to the Polish Press Agency after this.
Elon Musk Backtracks on His Comments
After the heated exchange with the Polish minister, Musk backtracked on his comments. « To be absolutely clear, despite all my disagreements with Ukraine’s policy, Starlink will never shut down its terminals », he clarified on X. « I simply want to say that without Starlink, Ukrainian networks would collapse because the Russians can jam all other communication channels! But we would never do that or use it as a bargaining tool ».
The EU Seriously Considers Alternatives to Starlink
Concerns over Starlink’s availability escalated after the U.S. paused military aid to Ukraine and raised the possibility of restricting Ukraine’s access to Starlink.
Facing growing dependence on American satellite networks, the European Union is actively exploring alternatives for its digital sovereignty. Additionally, the EU has launched the Iris² project, a satellite constellation designed to provide independent and secure Internet. The estimated investment is around €10 billion.
Eutelsat: The Alternative to Starlink?
The European satellite operator Eutelsat is now positioning itself as a competitor to Starlink and an alternative for the EU, claiming to be almost at the same level as Elon Musk’s company. Following this announcement, the company’s stock increased by more than 300%. According to Bloomberg, Eutelsat is currently in advanced discussions with the European Union to potentially replace Starlink in Ukraine. The French company is already operating in Ukraine, with thousands of terminals deployed. But it’s important to note that not all of them are yet connected to the network.
The U.S. Remains a Market Leader
For now, Starlink remains the European market leader in satellite Internet connections, with about 42,000 terminals in service worldwide. Thanks to its low-orbit satellite network, Musk’s company provides extensive coverage, especially in remote areas where Internet access is limited.
We might wonder if, in the coming years, the EU will be able to ensure its sovereignty in space…
