Calls Grow In Europe For Governments To Develop Alternatives To, Or Outright Abandon, Musk-Controlled Tech
Governments across the European continent are being urged to reduce their technological reliance on the U.S., particularly regarding technology developed or controlled by Elon Musk.
Ukraine is leading the push for the establishment of a European alternative to the Starlink communications system, the development of which was confirmed by Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky on Saturday.
Starlink is a low-orbit satellite network developed by Musk’s SpaceX to provide internet service. Starlink satellites, which number over 10,000, account for more than half of all satellites currently in Earth’s orbit.
A senior Ukrainian official warned on Friday that recent restrictions imposed on Kyiv’s battlefield use of Starshield, the military-grade version of Starlink, had weakened the country’s military capabilities and impeded its ability to defend itself against Russian attacks.
Ukraine reported earlier this week that speed restrictions had been placed on Starshield. A 100 mph speed limit was allegedly imposed on the network, which meant that any Ukrainian drones traveling faster than lost internet connectivity, which led to numerous defensive missions to be called off, leaving Ukraine particularly vulnerable to Russian drone and missile strikes.
Musk suggested that the U.S. government was behind the restrictions, a charge which President Donald Trump denied but Reuters corroborated. The restrictions were met with swift backlash amongst Ukraine’s European allies; Polish Foreign Minister Radosław Sikorski accused Musk of “playing politics” and warned that his “European customers” were “watching” him.
Regardless of the culprit, Kyiv is encouraging the accelerated development of a European alternative to the U.S.-controlled system, with Deputy Head of Office of the President of Ukraine Ihor Zhovkva telling Euro News before Friday’s European Union (EU) summit that “European countries must have their own corresponding system” to Starlink.
Zhovkva said that negotiations pertaining to the creation of such a system were underway.
The system in question may be IRIS², the EU’s sovereign multi-orbit network comprising 348 satellites which the bloc has been developing for approximately six years. The network “will support defence operations, border and maritime surveillance, and intelligence-sharing, particularly in areas with limited terrestrial networks.”
However, the system is not expected to become operational for several years, as the first satellites are set to launch in 2029 and services are scheduled to begin in 2029 or 2030.
Starlink is not the only technology controlled by Musk which has come under fire from Europe.
Last December, the EU announced that it would fine X, the American social networking platform acquired by Musk in 2022, $137 million for violating the EU’s Digital Services Act, accusing the platform of “breaching its transparency obligations.”
The U.S. Justice Department has since announced that it would help Musk’s legal challenge to overturn the fine imposed by the European Union General Court.
Some European political parties are, however, pushing for more than fines.
During the annual conference of the Scottish National Party (SNP), members overwhelmingly backed a motion which supported the introduction of a UK-wide ban of X and called for the Scottish Government to remove itself from the site. The SNP is the largest political party in Scotland and currently leads the Scottish Government.
