EU explores alternatives to Musk’s Starlink for Ukraine

Politico reported the information.

Ukraine relies heavily on space-based communications, with about 42,000 Starlink terminals in use — half funded by Poland. However, it's uncertain if Musk will continue support as the war drags on.

Kyiv has shown interest in Govsatcom, an EU network of pooled national satellites, and IRIS², a future constellation set for the 2030s. “The Commission will pursue its contacts with Ukraine in that regard,” said EU spokesperson Thomas Regnier.

French MEP Christophe Grudler urged the EU to “assess all possible alternative satellite solutions” and suggested fast-tracking Govsatcom by skipping certification. Regnier confirmed it could provide Ukraine with “precursor governmental services,” but details remain unclear.

Other options include leasing commercial satellite capacity from Eutelsat, Hispasat, SES, or the OneWeb constellation.