Europe must tackle dependency on Starlink, say EU leaders

EU leaders convened at an summit to discuss Ukraine's reliance on Starlink satellite communications for its battlefield operations. Starlink, a US-owned system operated by Elon Musk's SpaceX, provides critical support to Ukraine's military efforts, including battlefield communications, mid-range strikes on Russian-occupied territory, and interceptor drones. However, the system has faced disruptions recently, causing connectivity issues for Ukrainian officials.

EU foreign policy chief Kaja Kallas highlighted that Europe currently lacks an alternative to Starlink technology, as she arrived for the summit where the issue would be a major focus. The European Defence Agency has identified critical capabilities that Europe needs to develop to replace what it currently relies on from Starlink. Latvian Prime Minister Andris Kulbergs emphasized that while Europe possesses some capabilities, they are not sufficient to match those of Ukraine, and this strategic discussion was necessary.

Dutch Prime Minister Rob Jetten discussed the possibility of Europe providing more such services in the near future with French President Emmanuel Macron. British Defence Minister Wes Streeting echoed these concerns, stating that he and US Defence Secretary Pete Hegseth discussed Starlink on Thursday, but it remained unclear what caused the service disruption. However, he was reassured that the service had since been restored.