The European Union has pledged to help Ukraine reduce its dependence on US-owned satellite communications, while acknowledging that it cannot replace Starlink in the short term.
Speaking at an EU summit in Brussels on Friday, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said services were still being restored after disruptions he described as “a very unpleasant and dangerous surprise”.
Ukraine reported restrictions this week on some Starlink internet terminals, saying they had hampered its ability to defend against Russian forces.
The disruption came amid renewed tensions between Kiev and Washington even as US President Donald Trump denied ordering temporary disruption of Starlink service for Ukraine’s military.
EU leaders rallied around Zelenskyy but acknowledged limits to the support Europe could immediately provide.
“We are working hard to help Ukraine strengthen its ability to defend itself through satellite imagery and early-warning systems, which are much needed,” French President Emmanuel Macron told reporters after the talks.
EU foreign policy chief Kaja Kallas warned that Europe had no readily available replacement.
“Starlink is really necessary for Ukraine, and unfortunately in the short term Europe can’t replace this capability,” she said.
Europe’s satellite plans
EU countries currently pool and share satellite communications capacity through GOVSATCOM, a programme in which the bloc wants to fully include Ukraine, EU spokesperson Thomas Regnier said.
The EU also plans to incorporate commercial services into GOVSATCOM early next year to help meet military needs while it develops its own satellite network.
That network, known as IRIS², is intended to rival Starlink. Launches are planned for 2029, with full operations targeted for 2030.
Ukraine uses SpaceX’s military satellite service, Starshield, for battlefield communications, mid-range strikes on Russian-controlled territory and interceptor drones.
It also uses the company’s civilian Starlink system, though not for offensive operations.
SpaceX owner Elon Musk, whose stance on Ukraine has shifted repeatedly since 2022, said this week that any disruption was the responsibility of the US government, not his company.
Limited alternatives
European support extends beyond EU programmes. France’s Eutelsat already provides satellite communications services to Ukraine through its OneWeb network, although it has disclosed little about government and military uses.
Its constellation of 648 satellites, however, is far smaller than Starlink’s network of more than 10,000.
According to specialist publication Via Satellite, OneWeb cannot support drone and ground robot operations because of limited capacity and a lack of compact satellite terminals.
Kallas said the European Defence Agency had identified critical capabilities that Europe lacked, stressing that those gaps needed to be filled “as soon as possible”.
Latvian Prime Minister Andris Kulbergs also underscored Ukraine’s dependence on the service.
“Starlink is the key for Ukraine, actually, to fight or fight back,” he told reporters. “It takes time for us to have the same capabilities. We do have it, but not enough.”
Dutch Prime Minister Rob Jetten said he had discussed Starlink with Macron on Thursday, including how European countries could provide more such services in the near future.
