Europe reportedly moves away from Starlink
Archived — this story has rotated out of today’s deck. It is kept here in full.
The gist
EU leaders met in Brussels to tackle Ukraine's dependence on Elon Musk's Starlink after reported disruptions.
Europe has no quick replacement, so sovereign satellite networks are the crux.
Background
Starlink is the civilian satellite internet service run by SpaceX, the rocket company founded by Elon Musk; Ukraine also uses Starshield, its military-grade version, for battlefield communications, midrange strikes and interceptor drones. Europe already had alternatives in motion — the EU's IRIS² satellite program and Eutelsat's OneWeb constellation — but neither can quickly take over Starlink's wartime role, since switching would require different terminals and infrastructure. The issue rose to the top of the EU agenda after Kyiv reported disruptions and restrictions on its battlefield use of Starshield this week.
How it unfolded
- Aug (year not stated)The EU's IRIS² program moved into full-scale deployment, with 348 satellites planned and first sovereign services expected from 2029.
- Oct 14, 2026Ukrainian officials said speeds on the Starlink system were slower, affecting connectivity, and suggested Washington was behind the slowdown on some terminals.
- Oct 15, 2026Dutch Prime Minister Rob Jetten said he discussed with French President Emmanuel Macron how Europeans could provide more such services soon; British Defense Minister Wes Streeting said he discussed Starlink with U.S. counterpart Pete Hegseth.
- Oct 16, 2026EU leaders grappled with Ukraine's Starlink dependence as Kyiv was rocked by disruptions, with the issue expected high on the agenda at a Brussels summit. A senior Ukrainian official warned that restrictions on battlefield use of Starshield had weakened the country's defenses, and Danish Prime Minister Mette Frederiksen warned Europe was dangerously exposed to private tech giants.
- Oct 17, 2026Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky confirmed development of a European alternative to Starlink.
Who’s saying what
- Official
- EU foreign policy chief Kaja Kallas said Starlink is really necessary for Ukraine and that in the short term Europe can't replace this capability.
- Caution
- Danish Prime Minister Mette Frederiksen called the situation deeply problematic, arguing private tech billionaires hold too much power over frontline military operations and urging Europe to build independent satellite networks.
- Support
- Ihor Zhovkva, deputy head of Zelensky's office, said European countries must have their own system, with a timetable faster than five years, though he declined to give a date.
- Party
- Elon Musk said any disruption was the responsibility of the U.S. government, not SpaceX.
Still unverified
A 100 mph speed limit was allegedly imposed on the Starshield network, meaning Ukrainian drones traveling faster than that lost connectivity; Ukrainian officials suggested Washington was behind the slower speeds, and UK Defense Minister Wes Streeting said it was not yet clear what happened or why the interruption occurred.